Aquarium vs Truly Taupe
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Aquarium reads as blue, while Truly Taupe reads as greige-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Truly Taupe (LRV 35) reflects noticeably more light than Aquarium (LRV 32), a difference of 3 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Aquarium runs cool while Truly Taupe is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 37.2, 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 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Aquarium vs Truly Taupe in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Aquarium and Truly Taupe 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 brightness difference is modest but present — Truly Taupe gives the walls a little more lift.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Truly Taupe reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Truly Taupe reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Truly Taupe reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The brightness difference is modest but present — Truly Taupe gives the walls a little more lift.
Color Details
Aquarium vs Truly Taupe Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Aquarium on one side and Truly Taupe 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.