Auger Shell vs Truly Taupe paint color comparison

Auger Shell vs Truly Taupe

Auger Shell and Truly Taupe come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Hue-wise, Auger Shell belongs to the grey family and Truly Taupe to the greige-grey family. The 5-point LRV gap — 35 for Truly Taupe vs 30 for Auger Shell — means Truly Taupe will open up a space more effectively. Where Auger Shell leans neutral, Truly Taupe reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. ΔE 5.6 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Auger Shell vs Truly Taupe in Real Spaces

5 real rooms side by side. Auger Shell and Truly Taupe 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

A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Truly Taupe reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.

Auger ShellA organic modern living room painted in Auger Shell

@mybudgetrecipes

Truly TaupeSherwin Williams Truly Taupe Living Room

@toptierprofessionalpainting

Kitchen

Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Truly Taupe has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.

Auger ShellAuger Shell — classy kitchen

@mybudgetrecipes

Bathroom

Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. Truly Taupe has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.

Auger ShellAuger Shell — wabi-sabi bathroom

@mybudgetrecipes

Truly TaupeSW Truly Taupe bathroom interior

@burge_painting_co

House

A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Truly Taupe has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.

Auger ShellAuger Shell color — aesthetic house inspiration

@mybudgetrecipes

Truly TaupeSW Truly Taupe exterior paint

@light_on_the_hill

Front Door

On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. Truly Taupe reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.

Auger Shellscandinavian front door featuring Auger Shell by Sherwin-Williams

@mybudgetrecipes

Truly TaupeTruly Taupe Garage Door

@drippaintingcompany

Color Details

Auger Shell
Sherwin-Williams · 9159
LRV30.1
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number9159
Undertone
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessMedium
Truly Taupe
Sherwin-Williams · 6038
LRV35.5
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number6038
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessMedium

Auger Shell vs Truly Taupe Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Auger Shell on one side and Truly Taupe on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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 Auger Shell comparisons

See how Auger Shell stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

Ammonite
Auger Shell
Ammonite
Auger Shell
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30

At LRV 69 vs 30, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.

White Dove
Auger Shell
White Dove
Auger Shell
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30

White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 30), opening up a space where Auger Shell encloses it.

Auger Shell
Iron Ore
Auger Shell
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30

Auger Shell reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.

Purbeck Stone
Auger Shell
Purbeck Stone
Auger Shell
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30

At LRV 52 vs 30, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.

Auger Shell
Evergreen Fog
Auger Shell
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 30 vs 30), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Mizzle
Auger Shell
Mizzle
Auger Shell
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30

Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 30), opening up a space where Auger Shell encloses it.

Agreeable Gray
Auger Shell
Agreeable Gray
Auger Shell
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30

At LRV 60 vs 30, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Accessible Beige
Auger Shell
Accessible Beige
Auger Shell
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30

Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 30), opening up a space where Auger Shell encloses it.

Denim Drift
Auger Shell
Denim Drift
Auger Shell
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30

Auger Shell reads slightly lighter (LRV 30 vs 27), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

French Gray
Auger Shell
French Gray
Auger Shell
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30

At LRV 43 vs 30, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Auger Shell
Naval
Auger Shell
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

At LRV 30 vs 4, Auger Shell is decisively the brighter choice.

Tranquil Dawn
Auger Shell
Tranquil Dawn
Auger Shell
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30

Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 30), opening up a space where Auger Shell encloses it.

Bancha
Auger Shell
Bancha
Auger Shell
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30

Auger Shell reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.

Hardwick White
Auger Shell
Hardwick White
Auger Shell
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30

Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 30), opening up a space where Auger Shell encloses it.

Auger Shell
Pure White
Auger Shell
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30

At LRV 84 vs 30, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.

Artichoke
Auger Shell
Artichoke
Auger Shell
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30

A 9-point LRV gap (30 vs 21) makes Auger Shell the marginally brighter of the two.

Balboa Mist
Auger Shell
Balboa Mist
Auger Shell
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30

Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 30), opening up a space where Auger Shell encloses it.

Auger Shell
Shoji White
Auger Shell
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30

Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 30), opening up a space where Auger Shell encloses it.

Auger Shell
Snowbound
Auger Shell
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 30), opening up a space where Auger Shell encloses it.

Pigeon
Auger Shell
Pigeon
Auger Shell
Farrow & Ball
Pigeon
LRV 51
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30

At LRV 51 vs 30, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.

Auger Shell
Pewter Green
Auger Shell
Pewter Green
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30

Auger Shell reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.

Duck Green
Auger Shell
Duck Green
Auger Shell
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30

Auger Shell reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.

Skimming Stone
Auger Shell
Skimming Stone
Auger Shell
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30

Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 30), opening up a space where Auger Shell encloses it.

Dix Blue
Auger Shell
Dix Blue
Auger Shell
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30

A 11-point LRV gap (41 vs 30) makes Dix Blue the marginally brighter of the two.

Hicks' Blue
Auger Shell
Hicks' Blue
Auger Shell
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30

Hicks' Blue vs Auger Shell

Slaked Lime Deep
Auger Shell
Slaked Lime Deep
Auger Shell

Slaked Lime Deep vs Auger Shell

Vintage Vogue
Auger Shell
Vintage Vogue
Auger Shell
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30

Auger Shell reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.

Livid
Auger Shell
Livid
Auger Shell
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30

Livid vs Auger Shell

Saybrook Sage
Auger Shell
Saybrook Sage
Auger Shell
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30

Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 30), opening up a space where Auger Shell encloses it.

Pale Green
Auger Shell
Pale Green
Auger Shell
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31
Sherwin-Williams
Auger Shell
9159 · LRV 30

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 31 vs 30), so neither reads brighter in a room.