Earl Grey vs Perle Noir paint color comparison

Earl Grey vs Perle Noir

Earl GreySherwin-WilliamsvsPerle NoirSherwin-WilliamsΔE 30.6Very different colors

Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. At LRV 32 vs 8, Earl Grey will read as the brighter of the two — a 24-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. They share a neutral quality — useful to know if you're layering them in the same space. At ΔE 30.6, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Earl Grey vs Perle Noir in Real Spaces

3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Earl Grey and Perle Noir in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.

Bedroom

Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Earl Grey will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Perle Noir would.

Earl GreyEarl Grey — cozy bedroom

@mybudgetrecipes

Perle NoirPerle Noir Bedroom

@bpenley77

Bathroom

Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The LRV gap is large enough that Earl Grey will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Perle Noir would.

Earl GreySherwin Williams Earl Grey wall panelling accent wall

@gotaccentwalldesigns

Perle NoirSW Perle Noir bathroom paint

@122_north

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. Earl Grey returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Earl GreyEarl Grey paint in a stylish front door

@mybudgetrecipes

Perle NoirSherwin Williams Perle Noir Front Door

@shawnasd

Color Details

Earl Grey
Sherwin-Williams · 7660
Hex#969A96
LRV31.8
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number7660
Undertone
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessMedium
Perle Noir
Sherwin-Williams · 9154
Hex#4F4D51
LRV7.5
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number9154
Undertone
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessDark

Earl Grey vs Perle Noir Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Earl Grey on one side and Perle Noir 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 Earl Grey comparisons

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

White Dove
Earl Grey
White Dove
Earl Grey
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32

At LRV 83 vs 32, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.

Ammonite
Earl Grey
Ammonite
Earl Grey
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32

Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 32), opening up a space where Earl Grey encloses it.

Earl Grey
Iron Ore
Earl Grey
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32

At LRV 32 vs 6, Earl Grey is decisively the brighter choice.

Purbeck Stone
Earl Grey
Purbeck Stone
Earl Grey
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32

Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 32), opening up a space where Earl Grey encloses it.

Earl Grey
Evergreen Fog
Earl Grey
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32

With LRVs of 32 and 30, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

Mizzle
Earl Grey
Mizzle
Earl Grey
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32

At LRV 52 vs 32, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.

Agreeable Gray
Earl Grey
Agreeable Gray
Earl Grey
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32

Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 32), opening up a space where Earl Grey encloses it.

Accessible Beige
Earl Grey
Accessible Beige
Earl Grey
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32

At LRV 58 vs 32, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.

Denim Drift
Earl Grey
Denim Drift
Earl Grey
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32

A 5-point LRV gap (32 vs 27) makes Earl Grey the marginally brighter of the two.

French Gray
Earl Grey
French Gray
Earl Grey
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32

French Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 43 vs 32), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Earl Grey
Naval
Earl Grey
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

Earl Grey reflects far more light (LRV 32 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.

Tranquil Dawn
Earl Grey
Tranquil Dawn
Earl Grey
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32

At LRV 55 vs 32, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.

Bancha
Earl Grey
Bancha
Earl Grey
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32

At LRV 32 vs 13, Earl Grey is decisively the brighter choice.

Hardwick White
Earl Grey
Hardwick White
Earl Grey
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32

A 12-point LRV gap (44 vs 32) makes Hardwick White the marginally brighter of the two.

Earl Grey
Pure White
Earl Grey
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32

Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 32), opening up a space where Earl Grey encloses it.

Artichoke
Earl Grey
Artichoke
Earl Grey
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32

Earl Grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 32 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Balboa Mist
Earl Grey
Balboa Mist
Earl Grey
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32

At LRV 66 vs 32, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.

Earl Grey
Shoji White
Earl Grey
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32

At LRV 74 vs 32, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.

Earl Grey
Snowbound
Earl Grey
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

At LRV 83 vs 32, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.

Earl Grey
Pewter Green
Earl Grey
Pewter Green
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32

At LRV 32 vs 12, Earl Grey is decisively the brighter choice.

Skimming Stone
Earl Grey
Skimming Stone
Earl Grey
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32

At LRV 68 vs 32, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.

Dix Blue
Earl Grey
Dix Blue
Earl Grey
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32

Dix Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 41 vs 32), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Calamine
Earl Grey
Calamine
Earl Grey
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32

Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 32), opening up a space where Earl Grey encloses it.

Treron
Earl Grey
Treron
Earl Grey
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32

Earl Grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 32 vs 25), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Vintage Vogue
Earl Grey
Vintage Vogue
Earl Grey
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32

At LRV 32 vs 12, Earl Grey is decisively the brighter choice.

Saybrook Sage
Earl Grey
Saybrook Sage
Earl Grey
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32

At LRV 45 vs 32, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.

Pale Green
Earl Grey
Pale Green
Earl Grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32

With LRVs of 32 and 31, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

Pine Needle
Earl Grey
Pine Needle
Earl Grey
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32

Earl Grey reflects far more light (LRV 32 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.

Cement grey
Earl Grey
Cement grey
Earl Grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32

Earl Grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 32 vs 24), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Guilford Green
Earl Grey
Guilford Green
Earl Grey
Sherwin-Williams
Earl Grey
7660 · LRV 32

Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 32), opening up a space where Earl Grey encloses it.