Forestwood vs Retreat
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Forestwood belongs to the green-grey family and Retreat to the grey family. Retreat (LRV 21) reflects noticeably more light than Forestwood (LRV 8), a difference of 13 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean neutral, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. With a ΔE of 18.6, 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.
Forestwood vs Retreat in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Forestwood and Retreat 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 Retreat will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Forestwood 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. Retreat reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Forestwood.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Retreat reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Forestwood.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Retreat reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Forestwood.
Color Details
Forestwood vs Retreat Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Forestwood on one side and Retreat 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.