Hardware vs Mountain Road paint color comparison

Hardware vs Mountain Road

Hardware and Mountain Road come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Hue-wise, Hardware belongs to the greige-grey family and Mountain Road to the grey family. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 23 vs 23 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. Where Hardware leans warm, Mountain Road reads neutral — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. ΔE 3.8 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Hardware vs Mountain Road in Real Spaces

2 real rooms side by side. Hardware and Mountain Road 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.

Dining Room

Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The temperature contrast between Hardware and Mountain Road is what sets these apart most in this context.

HardwareSw 6172 Dining Room

@wheeliebago

Mountain RoadSw Mountain Road Dining Room

@pine_n_paint

House

A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Mountain Road reads more restrained here, while Hardware adds a sense of enclosure and warmth.

HardwareSw Hardware Exterior

@ktinajoy

Color Details

Hardware
Sherwin-Williams · 6172
Hex#8B8372
LRV22.9
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number6172
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessMedium
Mountain Road
Sherwin-Williams · 7743
Hex#868578
LRV23.2
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number7743
Undertone
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessMedium

Hardware vs Mountain Road Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Hardware on one side and Mountain Road on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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 Hardware comparisons

See how Hardware stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
Hardware
White Dove
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

At LRV 83 vs 23, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.

Ammonite
Hardware
Ammonite
Hardware
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 23), opening up a space where Hardware encloses it.

Hardware
Iron Ore
Hardware
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

At LRV 23 vs 6, Hardware is decisively the brighter choice.

Purbeck Stone
Hardware
Purbeck Stone
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 23), opening up a space where Hardware encloses it.

Evergreen Fog
Hardware
Evergreen Fog
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

Evergreen Fog reads slightly lighter (LRV 30 vs 23), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Mizzle
Hardware
Mizzle
Hardware
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

At LRV 52 vs 23, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.

Agreeable Gray
Hardware
Agreeable Gray
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 23), opening up a space where Hardware encloses it.

Accessible Beige
Hardware
Accessible Beige
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

At LRV 58 vs 23, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.

Denim Drift
Hardware
Denim Drift
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

A 4-point LRV gap (27 vs 23) makes Denim Drift the marginally brighter of the two.

French Gray
Hardware
French Gray
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 23), opening up a space where Hardware encloses it.

Hardware
Naval
Hardware
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

Hardware reflects far more light (LRV 23 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.

Tranquil Dawn
Hardware
Tranquil Dawn
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

At LRV 55 vs 23, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.

Bancha
Hardware
Bancha
Hardware
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

A 10-point LRV gap (23 vs 13) makes Hardware the marginally brighter of the two.

Hardwick White
Hardware
Hardwick White
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

At LRV 44 vs 23, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.

Hardware
Pure White
Hardware
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 23), opening up a space where Hardware encloses it.

Artichoke
Hardware
Artichoke
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

With LRVs of 23 and 21, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

Balboa Mist
Hardware
Balboa Mist
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

At LRV 66 vs 23, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.

Hardware
Shoji White
Hardware
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

At LRV 74 vs 23, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.

Hardware
Snowbound
Hardware
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

At LRV 83 vs 23, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.

Hardware
Pewter Green
Hardware
Pewter Green
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

A 11-point LRV gap (23 vs 12) makes Hardware the marginally brighter of the two.

Skimming Stone
Hardware
Skimming Stone
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

At LRV 68 vs 23, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.

Dix Blue
Hardware
Dix Blue
Hardware
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 23), opening up a space where Hardware encloses it.

Calamine
Hardware
Calamine
Hardware
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 23), opening up a space where Hardware encloses it.

Treron
Hardware
Treron vs Hardware
Treron
Hardware
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

With LRVs of 25 and 23, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

Vintage Vogue
Hardware
Vintage Vogue
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

A 11-point LRV gap (23 vs 12) makes Hardware the marginally brighter of the two.

Saybrook Sage
Hardware
Saybrook Sage
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

At LRV 45 vs 23, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.

Pale Green
Hardware
Pale Green
Hardware
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

Pale Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 23), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Pine Needle
Hardware
Pine Needle
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

Hardware reflects far more light (LRV 23 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.

Cement grey
Hardware
Cement grey
Hardware
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

With LRVs of 24 and 23, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

Guilford Green
Hardware
Guilford Green
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 23), opening up a space where Hardware encloses it.