Functional Gray vs Tavern Taupe
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Functional Gray belongs to the greige-grey family and Tavern Taupe to the beige-greige family. Functional Gray (LRV 37) reflects noticeably more light than Tavern Taupe (LRV 27), a difference of 10 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean warm, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. With a ΔE of 10.9, 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.
Functional Gray vs Tavern Taupe in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Functional Gray and Tavern Taupe 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 Functional Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Tavern Taupe 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. Functional Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Tavern Taupe.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Functional Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Tavern Taupe.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Functional Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Tavern Taupe.
Color Details
Functional Gray vs Tavern Taupe Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Functional Gray on one side and Tavern Taupe 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 Functional Gray comparisons
See how Functional Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
