Dried Thyme vs Drift of Mist

Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Dried Thyme reads as grey, while Drift of Mist reads as greige-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Drift of Mist (LRV 69) reflects noticeably more light than Dried Thyme (LRV 21), a difference of 48 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Dried Thyme runs neutral while Drift of Mist is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 34.2, 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 9 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Dried Thyme vs Drift of Mist in Real Spaces

9 real rooms side by side. Seeing Dried Thyme and Drift of Mist 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 Drift of Mist will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Dried Thyme would.

Dried ThymeDried Thyme SW 6186 living room

@mybudgetrecipes

Drift of MistDrift of Mist SW 9166 living room

@mybudgetrecipes

Bedroom

The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Drift of Mist reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dried Thyme.

Dried ThymeBedroom painted in Sherwin-Williams Dried Thyme

@mybudgetrecipes

Drift of MistBedroom painted in Sherwin-Williams Drift of Mist

@mybudgetrecipes

Kitchen

In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Drift of Mist reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dried Thyme.

Dried ThymeSherwin Williams Dried Thyme kitchen cabinets

@mybudgetrecipes

Drift of MistSherwin Williams Drift of Mist kitchen cabinets

@mybudgetrecipes

Dining Room

A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. Drift of Mist returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Dried ThymeSW Dried Thyme dining room color

@macros.by.mel

Drift of MistDining room with light grey Drift of Mist walls

@montgomery_manor

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. Drift of Mist reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dried Thyme.

Dried ThymeGreen bathroom in Dried Thyme by Sherwin Williams

@mybudgetrecipes

Drift of MistBeige bathroom in Drift of Mist by Sherwin Williams

@mybudgetrecipes

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. Drift of Mist reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dried Thyme.

Dried ThymeSW 6186 home office inspiration

@mybudgetrecipes

Drift of MistSW 9166 home office inspiration

@mybudgetrecipes

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. Drift of Mist reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dried Thyme.

Dried ThymeDried Thyme house color review

@mybudgetrecipes

Drift of MistDrift of Mist house color review

@mybudgetrecipes

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 Drift of Mist will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Dried Thyme would.

Dried ThymeGreen front door with Dried Thyme SW 6186

@mybudgetrecipes

Drift of MistBeige front door with Drift of Mist SW 9166

@mybudgetrecipes

Kitchen Cabinets

Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Drift of Mist reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dried Thyme.

Dried ThymeSW Dried Thyme kitchen cabinets

@mmcabinetpainting

Drift of MistDrift of Mist kitchen cabinets color

@bizzylizzydesigns

Color Details

Dried Thyme
Sherwin-Williams · 6186
Hex#7B8070
LRV20.8
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number6186
Undertone
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessMedium
Drift of Mist
Sherwin-Williams · 9166
Hex#DCD8D0
LRV69.1
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number9166
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessLight

Dried Thyme vs Drift of Mist Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Dried Thyme on one side and Drift of Mist on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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 Dried Thyme comparisons

See how Dried Thyme stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
Dried Thyme
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Dried Thyme
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
Dried Thyme
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Dried Thyme reads noticeably lighter

Purbeck Stone
Dried Thyme
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone is the lighter choice

Evergreen Fog
Dried Thyme
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Evergreen Fog reads slightly lighter

Mizzle
Dried Thyme
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle is the lighter choice

Agreeable Gray
Dried Thyme
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray is the lighter choice

Accessible Beige
Dried Thyme
Accessible Beige
Sherwin-Williams
Accessible Beige
LRV 58

Accessible Beige is the lighter choice

Denim Drift
Dried Thyme
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Denim Drift reads slightly lighter

French Gray
Dried Thyme
French Gray
Farrow & Ball
French Gray
LRV 43

French Gray reads noticeably lighter

Naval
Dried Thyme
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

Dried Thyme reads noticeably lighter

Tranquil Dawn
Dried Thyme
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn is the lighter choice

Bancha
Dried Thyme
Bancha
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

Dried Thyme reads slightly lighter

Hardwick White
Dried Thyme
Hardwick White
Farrow & Ball
Hardwick White
LRV 44

Hardwick White reads noticeably lighter

Pure White
Dried Thyme
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams
Pure White
LRV 84

Pure White is the lighter choice

Artichoke
Dried Thyme
Artichoke
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

Nearly identical in tone

Balboa Mist
Dried Thyme
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Shoji White
Dried Thyme
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams
Shoji White
LRV 74

Shoji White is the lighter choice

Snowbound
Dried Thyme
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound is the lighter choice

Pewter Green
Dried Thyme
Pewter Green
Sherwin-Williams
Pewter Green
LRV 12

Dried Thyme reads slightly lighter

Skimming Stone
Dried Thyme
Skimming Stone
Farrow & Ball
Skimming Stone
LRV 68

Skimming Stone is the lighter choice

Dix Blue
Dried Thyme
Dix Blue
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

Dix Blue reads noticeably lighter

Calamine
Dried Thyme
Calamine
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68

Calamine is the lighter choice

Treron
Dried Thyme
Treron
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25

Treron reads slightly lighter

Vintage Vogue
Dried Thyme
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Dried Thyme reads slightly lighter

Saybrook Sage
Dried Thyme
Saybrook Sage
Benjamin Moore
Saybrook Sage
LRV 45

Saybrook Sage reads noticeably lighter

Pale Green
Dried Thyme
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Pale Green reads slightly lighter

Pine Needle
Dried Thyme
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Dried Thyme reads noticeably lighter

Cement grey
Dried Thyme
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Cement grey reads slightly lighter

Guilford Green
Dried Thyme
Guilford Green
Benjamin Moore
Guilford Green
LRV 57

Guilford Green is the lighter choice