Grays Harbor vs Inkwell
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. These are both blue-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue-grey to land. Grays Harbor (LRV 12) reflects noticeably more light than Inkwell (LRV 4), a difference of 8 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Grays Harbor runs neutral while Inkwell is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 19.1, 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 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Grays Harbor vs Inkwell in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Grays Harbor and Inkwell 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 Grays Harbor will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Inkwell 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. Grays Harbor reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Inkwell.
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. Grays Harbor reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Inkwell.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Grays Harbor reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Inkwell.
Color Details
Grays Harbor vs Inkwell Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Grays Harbor on one side and Inkwell 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.