Anew Gray vs Balanced Beige
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Anew Gray belongs to the greige-grey family and Balanced Beige to the beige-greige family. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (47 vs 46), so they'll read as similarly Medium in most lighting conditions. Both lean warm, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. The ΔE 3.2 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 8 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Anew Gray vs Balanced Beige in Real Spaces
8 real rooms side by side. Anew Gray and Balanced Beige are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
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. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Home Office
The test for a home office color isn't how it looks in a quick glance — it's whether it still feels right after a full day of work. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Color Details
Anew Gray vs Balanced Beige Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Anew Gray on one side and Balanced Beige 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 Anew Gray comparisons
See how Anew Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 47), opening up a space where Anew Gray encloses it.
A 4-point LRV gap (52 vs 47) makes Purbeck Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 47 vs 30, Anew Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 47, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reads slightly lighter (LRV 58 vs 47), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Anew Gray reflects far more light (LRV 47 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
A 4-point LRV gap (47 vs 43) makes Anew Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 47), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Anew Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 47 vs 44), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 47, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 47), opening up a space where Anew Gray encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 47), opening up a space where Anew Gray encloses it.
Anew Gray reflects far more light (LRV 47 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 47), opening up a space where Anew Gray encloses it.
Anew Gray reflects far more light (LRV 47 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
With LRVs of 47 and 45, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 47 vs 31, Anew Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 47 vs 7, Anew Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 47 vs 24, Anew Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (57 vs 47) makes Guilford Green the marginally brighter of the two.