Elation vs Magnetic Gray
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Elation belongs to the blue-grey family and Magnetic Gray to the grey family. Elation (LRV 72) reflects noticeably more light than Magnetic Gray (LRV 46), a difference of 27 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Elation runs cool while Magnetic Gray is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 17.1, 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 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Elation vs Magnetic Gray in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Elation and Magnetic Gray 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 Magnetic Gray 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 Magnetic Gray.
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 Magnetic Gray.
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 Magnetic Gray would.
Color Details
Elation vs Magnetic Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Elation on one side and Magnetic Gray 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 Elation comparisons
See how Elation stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
A 11-point LRV gap (83 vs 72) makes White Dove the marginally brighter of the two.
Elation reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Elation reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Elation reads slightly lighter (LRV 72 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 72 vs 58, Elation is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 27, Elation is decisively the brighter choice.
Elation reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
At LRV 72 vs 55, Elation is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 44, Elation is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reads slightly lighter (LRV 84 vs 72), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 7-point LRV gap (72 vs 66) makes Elation the marginally brighter of the two.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 74 vs 72), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 72 vs 12, Elation is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (72 vs 68) makes Elation the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 72 vs 12, Elation is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 45, Elation is decisively the brighter choice.
Elation reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Elation reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Elation reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Elation reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 57), opening up a space where Guilford Green encloses it.