Cadet vs Castlegate
Cadet and Castlegate come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Hue-wise, Cadet belongs to the blue-grey family and Castlegate to the grey family. The 6-point LRV gap — 37 for Castlegate vs 31 for Cadet — means Castlegate will open up a space more effectively. Both share a neutral character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. ΔE 5.1 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Cadet vs Castlegate in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Cadet and Castlegate 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
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Castlegate reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Castlegate has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Cadet vs Castlegate Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cadet on one side and Castlegate 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.
More Cadet comparisons
See how Cadet stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 31), opening up a space where Cadet encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 31, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 31 vs 30), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 60 vs 31, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 31), opening up a space where Cadet encloses it.
Cadet reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 27), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 31, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 31), opening up a space where Cadet encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 31), opening up a space where Cadet encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 31, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 31), opening up a space where Cadet encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 31), opening up a space where Cadet encloses it.
Cadet reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 31), opening up a space where Cadet encloses it.
Cadet reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 31), opening up a space where Cadet encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 31 vs 31), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 7-point LRV gap (31 vs 24) makes Cadet the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 57 vs 31, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.