Gateway Gray vs Snowbound
Gateway Gray and Snowbound come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Hue-wise, Gateway Gray belongs to the greige-grey family and Snowbound to the beige-greige family. The 41-point LRV gap — 83 for Snowbound vs 41 for Gateway Gray — means Snowbound will open up a space more effectively. Both share a warm character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. A ΔE of 23.2 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Gateway Gray vs Snowbound in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Gateway Gray and Snowbound 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
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. Snowbound reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Gateway Gray.
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. Snowbound returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Gateway Gray vs Snowbound Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Gateway Gray on one side and Snowbound 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.
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.
Gateway Gray reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.