Gibraltar vs Steely Gray
Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. These are both blue-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue-grey to land. At LRV 30 vs 14, Steely Gray will read as the brighter of the two — a 16-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. They share a neutral quality — useful to know if you're layering them in the same space. At ΔE 18.1, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Gibraltar vs Steely Gray in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Gibraltar and Steely Gray 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
Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. Steely Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The LRV gap is large enough that Steely Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Gibraltar would.
Color Details
Gibraltar vs Steely Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Gibraltar on one side and Steely Gray 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 Gibraltar comparisons
See how Gibraltar stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 14, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 14), opening up a space where Gibraltar encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 14), opening up a space where Gibraltar encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 14), opening up a space where Gibraltar encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 14, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 14, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 14), opening up a space where Gibraltar encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 14, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 14, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 14), opening up a space where Gibraltar encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 14, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 14, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 14 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 14, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 14 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 45 vs 14, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 14), opening up a space where Gibraltar encloses it.
Gibraltar reads slightly lighter (LRV 14 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Cement grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 24 vs 14), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 14), opening up a space where Gibraltar encloses it.