Enigma vs Poetry Plum
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. Enigma (LRV 21) reflects noticeably more light than Poetry Plum (LRV 12), a difference of 10 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Enigma runs neutral while Poetry Plum is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 12.6, 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 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Enigma vs Poetry Plum in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Enigma and Poetry Plum 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 Enigma will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Poetry Plum 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. Enigma reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Poetry Plum.
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. Enigma 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. Enigma reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Poetry Plum.
Color Details
Enigma vs Poetry Plum Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Enigma on one side and Poetry Plum 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 Enigma comparisons
See how Enigma stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 21), opening up a space where Enigma encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 21, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (30 vs 21) makes Evergreen Fog the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 60 vs 21, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 21), opening up a space where Enigma encloses it.
Denim Drift reads slightly lighter (LRV 27 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 21, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 21), opening up a space where Enigma encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 21), opening up a space where Enigma encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 21, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 21), opening up a space where Enigma encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 21), opening up a space where Enigma encloses it.
Enigma reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 21), opening up a space where Enigma encloses it.
Enigma reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 21), opening up a space where Enigma encloses it.
A 10-point LRV gap (31 vs 21) makes Pale Green the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 21 vs 7, Enigma is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 24 vs 21), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 57 vs 21, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.