Gauntlet Gray vs Soulful Blue
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Gauntlet Gray belongs to the grey family and Soulful Blue to the blue-grey family. Soulful Blue (LRV 20) reflects noticeably more light than Gauntlet Gray (LRV 17), a difference of 3 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Gauntlet Gray runs neutral while Soulful Blue is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 16.1, 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.
Gauntlet Gray vs Soulful Blue in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Gauntlet 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.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Soulful Blue brings more warmth to the space, while Gauntlet Gray keeps things cooler and crisper.
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. Soulful Blue brings more warmth to the space, while Gauntlet Gray keeps things cooler and crisper.
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. Soulful Blue brings more warmth to the space, while Gauntlet Gray keeps things cooler and crisper.
Color Details
Gauntlet Gray vs Soulful Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Gauntlet 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 Gauntlet Gray comparisons
See how Gauntlet Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 17, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 17), opening up a space where Gauntlet Gray encloses it.
A 12-point LRV gap (17 vs 6) makes Gauntlet Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 17), opening up a space where Gauntlet Gray encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 17), opening up a space where Gauntlet Gray encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 17, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 17), opening up a space where Gauntlet Gray encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 17, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (27 vs 17) makes Denim Drift the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 17), opening up a space where Gauntlet Gray encloses it.
Gauntlet Gray reflects far more light (LRV 17 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 17, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (17 vs 13) makes Gauntlet Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 44 vs 17, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 17), opening up a space where Gauntlet Gray encloses it.
Artichoke reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 17), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 17, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 17, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 17, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (17 vs 12) makes Gauntlet Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 17, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 17), opening up a space where Gauntlet Gray encloses it.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 17), opening up a space where Gauntlet Gray encloses it.
Treron reads slightly lighter (LRV 25 vs 17), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 6-point LRV gap (17 vs 12) makes Gauntlet Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 17, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 17), opening up a space where Gauntlet Gray encloses it.
Gauntlet Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 17 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Cement grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 24 vs 17), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 17), opening up a space where Gauntlet Gray encloses it.