Elephant Ear vs Frosted Emerald paint color comparison

Elephant Ear vs Frosted Emerald

Elephant Ear and Frosted Emerald come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Hue-wise, Elephant Ear belongs to the greige-grey family and Frosted Emerald to the green family. The 9-point LRV gap — 37 for Frosted Emerald vs 28 for Elephant Ear — means Frosted Emerald will open up a space more effectively. Where Elephant Ear leans warm, Frosted Emerald reads cool — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 32.0 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Elephant Ear vs Frosted Emerald in Real Spaces

5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Elephant Ear and Frosted Emerald 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

A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Frosted Emerald reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Elephant Ear.

Elephant EarSW Elephant Ear living room

@dawndtottyinteriordesigns

Frosted EmeraldA scandinavian living room painted in Frosted Emerald

@mybudgetrecipes

Kitchen

Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Frosted Emerald returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Elephant EarSW Elephant Ear kitchen makeover

@homesweethomeintexas

Frosted EmeraldFrosted Emerald — minimalist kitchen

@mybudgetrecipes

Bathroom

Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. Frosted Emerald returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Elephant EarSw Elephant Ear Bathroom

@dy.creates

Frosted EmeraldFrosted Emerald — wabi-sabi bathroom

@mybudgetrecipes

House

A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Frosted Emerald returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Elephant EarSw Elephant Ear House Exterior

@macfarland_painting

Frosted EmeraldFrosted Emerald — scandinavian house

@mybudgetrecipes

Front Door

On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. Frosted Emerald reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Elephant Ear.

Elephant EarSW Elephant Ear front door

@paintedlinen

Frosted Emeraldcottagecore front door featuring Frosted Emerald by Sherwin-Williams

@mybudgetrecipes

Color Details

Elephant Ear
Sherwin-Williams · 9168
Hex#988F85
LRV28.1
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number9168
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessMedium
Frosted Emerald
Sherwin-Williams · 9035
Hex#78B185
LRV37.3
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number9035
Undertone
TemperatureCool
BrightnessMedium

Elephant Ear vs Frosted Emerald Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Elephant Ear on one side and Frosted Emerald 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
Elephant Ear
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28

At LRV 83 vs 28, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.

Ammonite
Elephant Ear
Ammonite
Elephant Ear
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28

Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 28), opening up a space where Elephant Ear encloses it.

Elephant Ear
Iron Ore
Elephant Ear
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28

At LRV 28 vs 6, Elephant Ear is decisively the brighter choice.

Purbeck Stone
Elephant Ear
Purbeck Stone
Elephant Ear
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28

Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 28), opening up a space where Elephant Ear encloses it.

Elephant Ear
Evergreen Fog
Elephant Ear
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28

With LRVs of 30 and 28, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

Mizzle
Elephant Ear
Mizzle
Elephant Ear
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28

At LRV 52 vs 28, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.

Agreeable Gray
Elephant Ear
Agreeable Gray
Elephant Ear
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28

Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 28), opening up a space where Elephant Ear encloses it.

Accessible Beige
Elephant Ear
Accessible Beige
Elephant Ear
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28

At LRV 58 vs 28, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.

Denim Drift
Elephant Ear
Denim Drift
Elephant Ear
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 28 vs 27), so neither reads brighter in a room.

French Gray
Elephant Ear
French Gray
Elephant Ear
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28

French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 28), opening up a space where Elephant Ear encloses it.

Elephant Ear
Naval
Elephant Ear
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

Elephant Ear reflects far more light (LRV 28 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.

Tranquil Dawn
Elephant Ear
Tranquil Dawn
Elephant Ear
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28

At LRV 55 vs 28, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.

Bancha
Elephant Ear
Bancha
Elephant Ear
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28

At LRV 28 vs 13, Elephant Ear is decisively the brighter choice.

Hardwick White
Elephant Ear
Hardwick White
Elephant Ear
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28

At LRV 44 vs 28, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.

Elephant Ear
Pure White
Elephant Ear
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28

Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 28), opening up a space where Elephant Ear encloses it.

Artichoke
Elephant Ear
Artichoke
Elephant Ear
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28

Elephant Ear reads slightly lighter (LRV 28 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Balboa Mist
Elephant Ear
Balboa Mist
Elephant Ear
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28

At LRV 66 vs 28, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.

Elephant Ear
Shoji White
Elephant Ear
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28

At LRV 74 vs 28, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.

Elephant Ear
Snowbound
Elephant Ear
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

At LRV 83 vs 28, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.

Elephant Ear
Pewter Green
Elephant Ear
Pewter Green
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28

At LRV 28 vs 12, Elephant Ear is decisively the brighter choice.

Skimming Stone
Elephant Ear
Skimming Stone
Elephant Ear
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28

At LRV 68 vs 28, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.

Dix Blue
Elephant Ear
Dix Blue
Elephant Ear
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28

Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 28), opening up a space where Elephant Ear encloses it.

Calamine
Elephant Ear
Calamine
Elephant Ear
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28

Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 28), opening up a space where Elephant Ear encloses it.

Treron
Elephant Ear
Treron
Elephant Ear
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28

Elephant Ear reads slightly lighter (LRV 28 vs 25), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Vintage Vogue
Elephant Ear
Vintage Vogue
Elephant Ear
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28

At LRV 28 vs 12, Elephant Ear is decisively the brighter choice.

Saybrook Sage
Elephant Ear
Saybrook Sage
Elephant Ear
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28

At LRV 45 vs 28, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.

Pale Green
Elephant Ear
Pale Green
Elephant Ear
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28

Pale Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 28), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Pine Needle
Elephant Ear
Pine Needle
Elephant Ear
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28

Elephant Ear reflects far more light (LRV 28 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.

Cement grey
Elephant Ear
Cement grey
Elephant Ear
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28

Elephant Ear reads slightly lighter (LRV 28 vs 24), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Guilford Green
Elephant Ear
Guilford Green
Elephant Ear
Sherwin-Williams
Elephant Ear
9168 · LRV 28

Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 28), opening up a space where Elephant Ear encloses it.