Chelsea Gray vs Contented
Chelsea Gray and Contented come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. The 5-point LRV gap — 52 for Contented vs 47 for Chelsea Gray — means Contented 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 4.4 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 7 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Chelsea Gray vs Contented in Real Spaces
7 real rooms side by side. Chelsea Gray and Contented 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. Contented reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Contented has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Contented has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. Contented has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Home Office
Home office walls matter more than most — you're looking at them all day, and a color that reads fine at first can become tiring over time. Contented has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Contented has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Front Door
On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. Contented reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Chelsea Gray vs Contented Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Chelsea Gray on one side and Contented 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 Chelsea Gray comparisons
See how Chelsea Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 47, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 47), opening up a space where Chelsea Gray encloses it.
Chelsea Gray reflects far more light (LRV 47 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (52 vs 47) makes Purbeck Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 47 vs 30, Chelsea Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 47), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 60 vs 47, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reads slightly lighter (LRV 58 vs 47), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Chelsea Gray reflects far more light (LRV 47 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
A 4-point LRV gap (47 vs 43) makes Chelsea Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 47 vs 4, Chelsea Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 47), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Chelsea Gray reflects far more light (LRV 47 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Chelsea Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 47 vs 44), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 47, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 47 vs 21, Chelsea Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 47), opening up a space where Chelsea Gray encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 47), opening up a space where Chelsea Gray encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 47), opening up a space where Chelsea Gray encloses it.
A 4-point LRV gap (51 vs 47) makes Pigeon the marginally brighter of the two.
Chelsea Gray reflects far more light (LRV 47 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Chelsea Gray reflects far more light (LRV 47 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 47), opening up a space where Chelsea Gray encloses it.
A 6-point LRV gap (47 vs 41) makes Chelsea Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Chelsea Gray reflects far more light (LRV 47 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
With LRVs of 47 and 45, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 47 vs 31, Chelsea Gray is decisively the brighter choice.