Elephant Ear vs Functional Gray
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. These are both greige-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within greige-grey to land. Functional Gray (LRV 37) reflects noticeably more light than Elephant Ear (LRV 28), a difference of 9 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean warm, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. The ΔE 7.6 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Elephant Ear vs Functional Gray in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Elephant Ear and Functional Gray 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
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 Functional Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Elephant Ear would.
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. Functional Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Elephant Ear.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Functional Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Elephant Ear.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Functional Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Elephant Ear.
Color Details
Elephant Ear vs Functional Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Elephant Ear on one side and Functional 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 Elephant Ear comparisons
See how Elephant Ear stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
