Antimony vs Illusion
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Antimony reads as grey, while Illusion reads as greige-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Antimony (LRV 57) reflects noticeably more light than Illusion (LRV 40), a difference of 18 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Antimony runs neutral while Illusion is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 12.6, 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 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Antimony vs Illusion in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Antimony and Illusion 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 Antimony will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Illusion would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Antimony reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Illusion.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Antimony reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Illusion.
Dining Room
A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. Antimony returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Antimony reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Illusion.
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. Antimony reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Illusion.
Mudroom
Mudrooms are seen in passing, often under whatever light comes through the door — a context that favors colors with some depth. Antimony returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Patio
Outside, paint color competes with sky, landscaping, and direct sun — all of which shift how both of these read compared to an indoor chip. Antimony returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Antimony reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Illusion.
Color Details
Antimony vs Illusion Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Antimony on one side and Illusion 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 Antimony comparisons
See how Antimony stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 57), opening up a space where Antimony encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (57 vs 52) makes Antimony the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 57 vs 30, Antimony is decisively the brighter choice.
A 3-point LRV gap (60 vs 57) makes Agreeable Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
With LRVs of 58 and 57, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Antimony reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 57 vs 43, Antimony is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 57 and 55, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Antimony reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 57, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter (LRV 66 vs 57), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 57), opening up a space where Antimony encloses it.
Antimony reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 68 vs 57), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Antimony reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Antimony reads slightly lighter (LRV 57 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 57 vs 31, Antimony is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 7, Antimony is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 24, Antimony is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 57 vs 57), so neither reads brighter in a room.