Dried Thyme vs Retreat
Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. With LRVs of 21 and 21, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. They share a neutral quality — useful to know if you're layering them in the same space. At ΔE 3.5, the difference is perceptible but not dramatic — the two can work harmoniously in the same space. Below you'll find 9 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Dried Thyme vs Retreat in Real Spaces
9 real rooms side by side. Dried Thyme and Retreat 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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Kitchen
Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Dining Room
Dining room light is typically the warmest in the house, which shifts both colors toward the red end of the spectrum compared to daylight. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Home Office
In a home office, wall color sits in your peripheral vision for hours at a time, so temperature and undertone matter more than you might expect. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Kitchen Cabinets
On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Color Details
Dried Thyme vs Retreat Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Dried Thyme on one side and Retreat 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.
Dried Thyme reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Cement grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 24 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 21), opening up a space where Dried Thyme encloses it.