Flexible Gray vs Mount Etna
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Flexible Gray belongs to the grey family and Mount Etna to the blue-grey family. Flexible Gray (LRV 38) reflects noticeably more light than Mount Etna (LRV 6), a difference of 32 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Flexible Gray runs warm while Mount Etna is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 39.8, 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 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Flexible Gray vs Mount Etna in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Flexible Gray and Mount Etna 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 Flexible Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Mount Etna would.
Color Details
Flexible Gray vs Mount Etna Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Flexible Gray on one side and Mount Etna 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.