Austere Gray vs Extra White
Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. Hue-wise, Austere Gray belongs to the greige-grey family and Extra White to the white family. At LRV 86 vs 51, Extra White will read as the brighter of the two — a 34-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. They share a neutral quality — useful to know if you're layering them in the same space. At ΔE 17.9, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Austere Gray vs Extra White in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Austere Gray and Extra White 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
Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. Extra White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Kitchen
Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The LRV gap is large enough that Extra White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Austere Gray would.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Extra White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Austere Gray would.
Kitchen Cabinets
On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. The LRV gap is large enough that Extra White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Austere Gray would.
Color Details
Austere Gray vs Extra White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Austere Gray on one side and Extra White 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.