Cracked Pepper vs Plum Brown
Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. With LRVs of 5 and 6, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. The tonal difference — Cracked Pepper's warm character against Plum Brown's cool — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 7.1, the difference is perceptible but not dramatic — the two can work harmoniously in the same space. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Cracked Pepper vs Plum Brown in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Cracked Pepper and Plum Brown 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
Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. Plum Brown reads more restrained here, while Cracked Pepper adds a sense of enclosure and warmth.
Front Door
Front doors are seen in isolation against the rest of the facade, which makes them a high-stakes surface where even subtle differences matter. Plum Brown reads more restrained here, while Cracked Pepper adds a sense of enclosure and warmth.
Color Details
Cracked Pepper vs Plum Brown Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cracked Pepper on one side and Plum Brown 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 Cracked Pepper comparisons
See how Cracked Pepper stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 5, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 5), opening up a space where Cracked Pepper encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 6 vs 5), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 5), opening up a space where Cracked Pepper encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 5), opening up a space where Cracked Pepper encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 5, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 5), opening up a space where Cracked Pepper encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 5, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 5, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 5), opening up a space where Cracked Pepper encloses it.
With LRVs of 5 and 4, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 55 vs 5, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (13 vs 5) makes Bancha the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 44 vs 5, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 5), opening up a space where Cracked Pepper encloses it.
Artichoke reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 5), opening up a space where Cracked Pepper encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 5, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 5, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 5, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (12 vs 5) makes Pewter Green the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 5, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 5), opening up a space where Cracked Pepper encloses it.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 5), opening up a space where Cracked Pepper encloses it.
Treron reflects far more light (LRV 25 vs 5), opening up a space where Cracked Pepper encloses it.
A 7-point LRV gap (12 vs 5) makes Vintage Vogue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 5, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 5), opening up a space where Cracked Pepper encloses it.
With LRVs of 7 and 5, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Cement grey reflects far more light (LRV 24 vs 5), opening up a space where Cracked Pepper encloses it.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 5), opening up a space where Cracked Pepper encloses it.