Ethereal Mood vs Gateway Gray
Ethereal Mood and Gateway Gray come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. These are both greige-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within greige-grey to land. The 3-point LRV gap — 41 for Gateway Gray vs 38 for Ethereal Mood — means Gateway Gray will open up a space more effectively. Both share a warm character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. A ΔE of 2.8 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Ethereal Mood vs Gateway Gray in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Ethereal Mood and Gateway 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
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. Gateway Gray reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Gateway Gray has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Ethereal Mood vs Gateway Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Ethereal Mood on one side and Gateway 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 Ethereal Mood comparisons
See how Ethereal Mood stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 38, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 38), opening up a space where Ethereal Mood encloses it.
At LRV 38 vs 6, Ethereal Mood is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 38), opening up a space where Ethereal Mood encloses it.
Ethereal Mood reads slightly lighter (LRV 38 vs 30), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 38, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 38), opening up a space where Ethereal Mood encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 38, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (38 vs 27) makes Ethereal Mood the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 43 vs 38), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Ethereal Mood reflects far more light (LRV 38 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 38, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 38 vs 13, Ethereal Mood is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (44 vs 38) makes Hardwick White the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 38), opening up a space where Ethereal Mood encloses it.
Ethereal Mood reflects far more light (LRV 38 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 38, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 38, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 38, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 38 vs 12, Ethereal Mood is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 38, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 41 and 38, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 38), opening up a space where Ethereal Mood encloses it.
Ethereal Mood reflects far more light (LRV 38 vs 25), opening up a space where Treron encloses it.
At LRV 38 vs 12, Ethereal Mood is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (45 vs 38) makes Saybrook Sage the marginally brighter of the two.
Ethereal Mood reads slightly lighter (LRV 38 vs 31), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Ethereal Mood reflects far more light (LRV 38 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Ethereal Mood reflects far more light (LRV 38 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 38), opening up a space where Ethereal Mood encloses it.