Gypsum vs Pearl Gray
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Gypsum belongs to the white family and Pearl Gray to the green-grey family. Gypsum (LRV 82) reflects noticeably more light than Pearl Gray (LRV 61), a difference of 21 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean neutral, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. With a ΔE of 10.9, 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 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Gypsum vs Pearl Gray in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Gypsum and Pearl 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
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 Gypsum will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Pearl Gray would.
Color Details
Gypsum vs Pearl Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Gypsum on one side and Pearl 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 Gypsum comparisons
See how Gypsum stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 84 vs 82), so neither reads brighter in a room.
