Cavern Clay vs Hardware
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Cavern Clay belongs to the beige-pink family and Hardware to the greige-grey family. Hardware (LRV 23) reflects noticeably more light than Cavern Clay (LRV 20), a difference of 3 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean warm, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. With a ΔE of 27.4, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Cavern Clay vs Hardware in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Cavern Clay and Hardware 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 brightness difference is modest but present — Hardware gives the walls a little more lift.
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. Hardware reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Cavern Clay vs Hardware Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cavern Clay on one side and Hardware 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 Cavern Clay comparisons
See how Cavern Clay stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
