Dried Thyme vs Elation
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Dried Thyme reads as grey, while Elation reads as blue-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Elation (LRV 72) reflects noticeably more light than Dried Thyme (LRV 21), a difference of 51 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Dried Thyme runs neutral while Elation is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 38.2, 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 Elation in Real Spaces
9 real rooms side by side. Seeing Dried Thyme and Elation 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 Elation will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Dried Thyme 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. Elation reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dried Thyme.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Elation reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dried Thyme.
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. Elation returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Elation reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dried Thyme.
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. Elation reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dried Thyme.
Mudroom
Mudrooms are seen in passing, often under whatever light comes through the door — a context that favors colors with some depth. Elation 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. Elation reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dried Thyme.
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 Elation will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Dried Thyme would.
Color Details
Dried Thyme vs Elation Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Dried Thyme on one side and Elation 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 Dried Thyme comparisons
See how Dried Thyme stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 21), opening up a space where Dried Thyme encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 21, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 21 vs 6, Dried Thyme is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 21), opening up a space where Dried Thyme encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reads slightly lighter (LRV 30 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 21, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 21), opening up a space where Dried Thyme encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 21, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (27 vs 21) makes Denim Drift the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 21), opening up a space where Dried Thyme encloses it.
Dried Thyme reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 21, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (21 vs 13) makes Dried Thyme the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 44 vs 21, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 21), opening up a space where Dried Thyme encloses it.
With LRVs of 21 and 21, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 66 vs 21, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 21, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 21, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 21), opening up a space where Dried Thyme encloses it.
A 9-point LRV gap (21 vs 12) makes Dried Thyme the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 21 vs 8, Dried Thyme is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 21, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 21), opening up a space where Dried Thyme encloses it.
A 9-point LRV gap (21 vs 12) makes Dried Thyme the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 21, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.