Gateway Gray vs Illusion
Gateway Gray and Illusion come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Both sit in the greige-grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 41 vs 40 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. Both share a warm character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. A ΔE of 1.6 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Gateway Gray vs Illusion in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Gateway Gray and Illusion are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
Living Room
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Color Details
Gateway Gray vs Illusion Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Gateway Gray on one side and Illusion 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 Gateway Gray comparisons
See how Gateway Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 41), opening up a space where Gateway Gray encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 41, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 41 vs 6, Gateway Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 41), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Gateway Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 41 vs 30), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 10-point LRV gap (52 vs 41) makes Mizzle the marginally brighter of the two.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 41), opening up a space where Gateway Gray encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 41, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 41 vs 27, Gateway Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 43 and 41, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Gateway Gray reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 41, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 41 vs 13, Gateway Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 44 vs 41), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 41), opening up a space where Gateway Gray encloses it.
Gateway Gray reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 41, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 41, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 41, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reads slightly lighter (LRV 51 vs 41), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 41 vs 12, Gateway Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 41 vs 8, Gateway Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 41, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 41 and 41, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 41 vs 12, Gateway Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (45 vs 41) makes Saybrook Sage the marginally brighter of the two.
Gateway Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 41 vs 31), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.