Gateway Gray vs Soulful Blue
Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. Hue-wise, Gateway Gray belongs to the greige-grey family and Soulful Blue to the blue-grey family. At LRV 41 vs 20, Gateway Gray will read as the brighter of the two — a 21-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. The tonal difference — Gateway Gray's warm character against Soulful Blue's cool — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 28.2, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Gateway Gray vs Soulful Blue in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Gateway Gray and Soulful Blue in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Gateway Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Soulful Blue would.
Color Details
Gateway Gray vs Soulful Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Gateway Gray on one side and Soulful Blue 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.
At LRV 83 vs 41, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 41), opening up a space where Gateway Gray encloses it.
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.
At LRV 41 vs 12, 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.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 41), opening up a space where Gateway Gray encloses it.
Gateway Gray reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 25), opening up a space where Treron encloses it.
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.
Gateway Gray reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 41), opening up a space where Gateway Gray encloses it.