Flexible Gray vs Niebla Azul
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Flexible Gray belongs to the grey family and Niebla Azul to the blue-grey family. Niebla Azul (LRV 53) reflects noticeably more light than Flexible Gray (LRV 38), a difference of 15 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Flexible Gray runs warm while Niebla Azul is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 14.1, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Flexible Gray vs Niebla Azul in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Flexible Gray and Niebla Azul 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 Niebla Azul will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Flexible Gray 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. Niebla Azul reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Flexible Gray.
Color Details
Flexible Gray vs Niebla Azul Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Flexible Gray on one side and Niebla Azul 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.