Elephant Ear vs Felted Wool

Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. These are both greige-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within greige-grey to land. With LRVs of 28 and 28, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. They share a warm quality — useful to know if you're layering them in the same space. With a ΔE of 1.8, the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side to reliably tell them apart. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Elephant Ear vs Felted Wool in Real Spaces

6 real rooms side by side. Elephant Ear and Felted Wool 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. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.

Elephant EarSW Elephant Ear living room

@dawndtottyinteriordesigns

Felted WoolFelted Wool Living Room

@mybudgetrecipes

Kitchen

Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.

Elephant EarSW Elephant Ear kitchen makeover

@homesweethomeintexas

Felted WoolFelted Wool Kitchen

@mybudgetrecipes

Bathroom

Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.

Elephant EarSw Elephant Ear Bathroom

@dy.creates

Felted WoolFelted Wool Bathroom

@mybudgetrecipes

House

At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.

Elephant EarSw Elephant Ear House Exterior

@macfarland_painting

Felted WoolFelted Wool House

@mybudgetrecipes

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. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.

Elephant EarSW Elephant Ear front door

@paintedlinen

Felted WoolFelted Wool Front Door

@mybudgetrecipes

Kitchen Cabinets

On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.

Elephant EarSW Elephant Ear kitchen cabinets color

@shonasshabbytochic

Felted WoolSW Felted Wool kitchen cabinets review

@kraftykristin79

Color Details

Elephant Ear
Sherwin-Williams · 9168
Hex#988F85
LRV28.1
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number9168
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessMedium
Felted Wool
Sherwin-Williams · 9171
Hex#979083
LRV28.1
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number9171
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessMedium

Elephant Ear vs Felted Wool Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Elephant Ear on one side and Felted Wool 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 Elephant Ear comparisons

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

White Dove
Elephant Ear
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Elephant Ear
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
Elephant Ear
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Elephant Ear reads noticeably lighter

Purbeck Stone
Elephant Ear
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone reads noticeably lighter

Evergreen Fog
Elephant Ear
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Nearly identical in tone

Mizzle
Elephant Ear
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle reads noticeably lighter

Agreeable Gray
Elephant Ear
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray is the lighter choice

Denim Drift
Elephant Ear
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Nearly identical in tone

Tranquil Dawn
Elephant Ear
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn is the lighter choice

Balboa Mist
Elephant Ear
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Vintage Vogue
Elephant Ear
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Elephant Ear reads noticeably lighter

Pale Green
Elephant Ear
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Pale Green reads slightly lighter

Pine Needle
Elephant Ear
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Elephant Ear reads noticeably lighter

Cement grey
Elephant Ear
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Elephant Ear reads slightly lighter

Black grey
Elephant Ear
Black grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Black grey
LRV 6

Elephant Ear reads noticeably lighter

Piazza
Elephant Ear
Piazza
Tikkurila
Piazza
LRV 65

Piazza is the lighter choice

Humble Yellow
Elephant Ear
Humble Yellow
Jotun
Humble Yellow
LRV 57

Humble Yellow is the lighter choice

Windmill Lane
Elephant Ear
Windmill Lane
Little Greene
Windmill Lane
LRV 31

Nearly identical in tone

Senses
Elephant Ear
Senses
Jotun
Senses
LRV 41

Senses reads noticeably lighter

Lamp Black
Elephant Ear
Lamp Black
Little Greene
Lamp Black
LRV 3

Elephant Ear is the lighter choice

Washed Linen
Elephant Ear
Washed Linen
Jotun
Washed Linen
LRV 55

Washed Linen is the lighter choice

Tea with Florence
Elephant Ear
Tea with Florence
Little Greene
Tea with Florence
LRV 18

Elephant Ear reads slightly lighter

Thames Fog
Elephant Ear
Thames Fog
Valspar
Thames Fog
LRV 27

Nearly identical in tone

Ocean Abyss
Elephant Ear
Ocean Abyss
Behr
Ocean Abyss
LRV 7

Elephant Ear reads noticeably lighter

Classic Silver
Elephant Ear
Classic Silver
Behr
Classic Silver
LRV 48

Classic Silver reads noticeably lighter

Teton Blue
Elephant Ear
Teton Blue
Behr
Teton Blue
LRV 31

Nearly identical in tone

RAL 110-2
Elephant Ear
RAL 110-2
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-2
LRV 72

RAL 110-2 is the lighter choice

RAL 110-1
Elephant Ear
RAL 110-1
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-1
LRV 80

RAL 110-1 is the lighter choice

Paper
Elephant Ear
Paper
Tikkurila
Paper
LRV 88

Paper is the lighter choice

Passageway
Elephant Ear
Passageway
Valspar
Passageway
LRV 14

Elephant Ear reads noticeably lighter