Austere Gray vs Green Onyx
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Austere Gray reads as greige-grey, while Green Onyx reads as green-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Austere Gray (LRV 51) reflects noticeably more light than Green Onyx (LRV 31), a difference of 20 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean neutral, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. With a ΔE of 15.5, 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 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Austere Gray vs Green Onyx in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Austere Gray and Green Onyx 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 Austere Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Green Onyx would.
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. Austere Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Green Onyx.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Austere Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Green Onyx.
Color Details
Austere Gray vs Green Onyx Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Austere Gray on one side and Green Onyx 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.