Backdrop vs Proper Gray

Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Backdrop belongs to the greige-grey family and Proper Gray to the grey family. Proper Gray (LRV 40) reflects noticeably more light than Backdrop (LRV 20), a difference of 19 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Backdrop runs warm while Proper Gray is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 18.1, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below, 5 simulated room previews show how each color reads at scale — real-room photos will be added as they become available.