Glass Bead vs Mink
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Glass Bead reads as blue-white, while Mink reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Glass Bead (LRV 77) reflects noticeably more light than Mink (LRV 20), a difference of 57 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Glass Bead runs cool while Mink is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 38.8, 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 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Glass Bead vs Mink in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Glass Bead and Mink 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
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The LRV gap is large enough that Glass Bead will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Mink would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Glass Bead reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Mink.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Glass Bead reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Mink.
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. Glass Bead reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Mink.
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. Glass Bead reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Mink.
Color Details
Glass Bead vs Mink Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Glass Bead on one side and Mink 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.