Dorian Gray vs Dusty Heather
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Dorian Gray belongs to the grey family and Dusty Heather to the blue-grey family. Dorian Gray (LRV 39) reflects noticeably more light than Dusty Heather (LRV 28), a difference of 11 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Dorian Gray runs neutral while Dusty Heather is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 18.5, 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 7 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Dorian Gray vs Dusty Heather in Real Spaces
7 real rooms side by side. Seeing Dorian Gray and Dusty Heather 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 LRV gap is large enough that Dorian Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Dusty Heather would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Dorian Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dusty Heather.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Dorian Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dusty Heather.
Home Office
The test for a home office color isn't how it looks in a quick glance — it's whether it still feels right after a full day of work. Dorian Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dusty Heather.
Mudroom
Mudrooms are seen in passing, often under whatever light comes through the door — a context that favors colors with some depth. Dorian Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Dorian Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dusty Heather.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Dorian Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Dusty Heather would.
Color Details
Dorian Gray vs Dusty Heather Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Dorian Gray on one side and Dusty Heather 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 Dorian Gray comparisons
See how Dorian Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 39), opening up a space where Dorian Gray encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 39, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
Dorian Gray reflects far more light (LRV 39 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 39, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (39 vs 30) makes Dorian Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 39), opening up a space where Dorian Gray encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 39, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 39), opening up a space where Dorian Gray encloses it.
Dorian Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 39 vs 27), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 5-point LRV gap (43 vs 39) makes French Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 39 vs 4, Dorian Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 39), opening up a space where Dorian Gray encloses it.
Dorian Gray reflects far more light (LRV 39 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Hardwick White reads slightly lighter (LRV 44 vs 39), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 39, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 39 vs 21, Dorian Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 39), opening up a space where Dorian Gray encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 39), opening up a space where Dorian Gray encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 39), opening up a space where Dorian Gray encloses it.
Dorian Gray reflects far more light (LRV 39 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 39), opening up a space where Dorian Gray encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 41 vs 39), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 39, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 39 vs 25, Dorian Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Dorian Gray reflects far more light (LRV 39 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reads slightly lighter (LRV 45 vs 39), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 7-point LRV gap (39 vs 31) makes Dorian Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 39 vs 7, Dorian Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 39 vs 24, Dorian Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 39, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.