Analytical Gray vs Paper
Where Analytical Gray belongs to Sherwin-Williams's range, Paper is a Tikkurila color. Both sit in the beige-greige family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Paper (LRV 88) reflects noticeably more light than Analytical Gray (LRV 47), a difference of 41 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 22.0, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Analytical Gray vs Paper in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Analytical Gray and Paper in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Living Room
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The LRV gap is large enough that Paper will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Analytical Gray would.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Paper reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Analytical Gray.
Color Details
Analytical Gray vs Paper Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Analytical Gray on one side and Paper on the other.
Digital color is approximate. These simulations are generated from the manufacturer's hex values and overlaid on grayscale room photos — your screen's calibration, brightness, and viewing angle all affect how they render. Before committing to either color, test physical samples in your own space under the light you actually live with.
More Analytical Gray comparisons
See how Analytical Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
