Functional Gray vs Paper
Where Functional Gray belongs to Sherwin-Williams's range, Paper is a Tikkurila color. Hue-wise, Functional Gray belongs to the greige-grey family and Paper to the beige-greige family. Paper (LRV 88) reflects noticeably more light than Functional Gray (LRV 37), a difference of 51 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 28.2, 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 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Functional Gray vs Paper in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Functional Gray and Paper 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 Paper will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Functional 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. Paper reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Functional Gray.
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. Paper reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Functional Gray.
Color Details
Functional Gray vs Paper Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Functional Gray on one side and Paper 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.
