Austere Gray vs Hazel Gaze
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Austere Gray reads as greige-grey, while Hazel Gaze reads as green-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (51 vs 51), so they'll read as similarly Medium in most lighting conditions. Both lean neutral, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. At ΔE 2.4, these are close — the kind of difference that matters when choosing between them, but doesn't read strongly in a finished room. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Austere Gray vs Hazel Gaze in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Austere Gray and Hazel Gaze 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
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 two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
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. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Mudroom
Mudrooms are seen in passing, often under whatever light comes through the door — a context that favors colors with some depth. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
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. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Color Details
Austere Gray vs Hazel Gaze Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Austere Gray on one side and Hazel Gaze 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.