Denim vs Mercurial
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Denim belongs to the blue family and Mercurial to the greige-grey family. Mercurial (LRV 61) reflects noticeably more light than Denim (LRV 14), a difference of 47 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Denim runs cool while Mercurial is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 43.6, 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 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Denim vs Mercurial in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Denim and Mercurial in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Mercurial reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Denim.
Color Details
Denim vs Mercurial Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Denim 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.