Grey Heron vs Guild Grey
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Grey Heron belongs to the greige-grey family and Guild Grey to the grey family. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (65 vs 63), so they'll read as similarly Light in most lighting conditions. Grey Heron runs warm while Guild Grey is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. At ΔE 1.6, these are close — the kind of difference that matters when choosing between them, but doesn't read strongly in a finished room. Below you'll find 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Grey Heron vs Guild Grey in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Grey Heron and Guild Grey are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
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 temperature contrast between Grey Heron and Guild Grey is what sets these apart most in this context.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Grey Heron brings more warmth to the space, while Guild Grey keeps things cooler and crisper.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Grey Heron brings more warmth to the space, while Guild Grey keeps things cooler and crisper.
Dining Room
A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. Guild Grey reads more restrained here, while Grey Heron adds a sense of enclosure and warmth.
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. Grey Heron brings more warmth to the space, while Guild Grey keeps things cooler and crisper.
Home Office
The test for a home office color isn't how it looks in a quick glance — it's whether it still feels right after a full day of work. Grey Heron brings more warmth to the space, while Guild Grey keeps things cooler and crisper.
Mudroom
Mudrooms are seen in passing, often under whatever light comes through the door — a context that favors colors with some depth. Guild Grey reads more restrained here, while Grey Heron adds a sense of enclosure and warmth.
Patio
Outside, paint color competes with sky, landscaping, and direct sun — all of which shift how both of these read compared to an indoor chip. Guild Grey reads more restrained here, while Grey Heron adds a sense of enclosure and warmth.
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. Grey Heron brings more warmth to the space, while Guild Grey keeps things cooler and crisper.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The temperature contrast between Grey Heron and Guild Grey is what sets these apart most in this context.
Color Details
Grey Heron vs Guild Grey Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Grey Heron on one side and Guild Grey 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 Grey Heron comparisons
See how Grey Heron stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 65, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reads slightly lighter (LRV 69 vs 65), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 65 vs 6, Grey Heron is decisively the brighter choice.
Grey Heron reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Grey Heron reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
At LRV 65 vs 52, Grey Heron is decisively the brighter choice.
Grey Heron reads slightly lighter (LRV 65 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 7-point LRV gap (65 vs 58) makes Grey Heron the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 65 vs 27, Grey Heron is decisively the brighter choice.
Grey Heron reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
Grey Heron reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
A 10-point LRV gap (65 vs 55) makes Grey Heron the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 65 vs 13, Grey Heron is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 65 vs 44, Grey Heron is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 65), opening up a space where Grey Heron encloses it.
Grey Heron reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 66 vs 65), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 10-point LRV gap (74 vs 65) makes Shoji White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 83 vs 65, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 65 vs 12, Grey Heron is decisively the brighter choice.
A 3-point LRV gap (68 vs 65) makes Skimming Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
Grey Heron reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
With LRVs of 68 and 65, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Grey Heron reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 25), opening up a space where Treron encloses it.
At LRV 65 vs 12, Grey Heron is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 65 vs 45, Grey Heron is decisively the brighter choice.
Grey Heron reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Grey Heron reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Grey Heron reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Grey Heron reads slightly lighter (LRV 65 vs 57), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.