Big Chill vs Mercurial
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Big Chill reads as grey, while Mercurial reads as greige-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (62 vs 61), so they'll read as similarly Light in most lighting conditions. Big Chill runs neutral while Mercurial is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. At ΔE 1.3, 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 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Big Chill vs Mercurial in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Big Chill and Mercurial 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.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Mercurial brings more warmth to the space, while Big Chill keeps things cooler and crisper.
Color Details
Big Chill vs Mercurial Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Big Chill on one side and Mercurial 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.