Green Onyx vs Shade-Grown
Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. Green Onyx reads as green-greige, while Shade-Grown reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. At LRV 31 vs 8, Green Onyx will read as the brighter of the two — a 23-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 29.8, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Green Onyx vs Shade-Grown in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Green Onyx and Shade-Grown 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. Green Onyx 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 Green Onyx will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Shade-Grown would.
Kitchen Cabinets
On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. The LRV gap is large enough that Green Onyx will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Shade-Grown would.
Color Details
Green Onyx vs Shade-Grown Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Green Onyx on one side and Shade-Grown 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 Green Onyx comparisons
See how Green Onyx stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 31), opening up a space where Green Onyx encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 31, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 31 vs 6, Green Onyx is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 31), opening up a space where Green Onyx encloses it.
With LRVs of 31 and 30, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 52 vs 31, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 31), opening up a space where Green Onyx encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 31, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (31 vs 27) makes Green Onyx the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 43 vs 31), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Green Onyx reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 31, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 31 vs 13, Green Onyx is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 31, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 31), opening up a space where Green Onyx encloses it.
Green Onyx reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 31, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 31, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 31, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 31), opening up a space where Green Onyx encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 12, Green Onyx is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 31 vs 8, Green Onyx is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 31, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 41 vs 31), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 31 vs 12, Green Onyx is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 31, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 31 and 31, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.