Ethereal Mood vs Grey Heron
Ethereal Mood and Grey Heron 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 27-point LRV gap — 65 for Grey Heron vs 38 for Ethereal Mood — means Grey Heron 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 17.2 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 7 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Ethereal Mood vs Grey Heron in Real Spaces
7 real rooms side by side. Seeing Ethereal Mood and Grey Heron 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. Grey Heron reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Ethereal Mood.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Grey Heron returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Grey Heron returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Grey Heron returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Home Office
Home office walls matter more than most — you're looking at them all day, and a color that reads fine at first can become tiring over time. Grey Heron returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Grey Heron returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Grey Heron reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Ethereal Mood.
Color Details
Ethereal Mood vs Grey Heron Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Ethereal Mood on one side and Grey Heron 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.