Hazel Gaze vs Sea Salt
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Both sit in the green-grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Sea Salt (LRV 63) reflects noticeably more light than Hazel Gaze (LRV 51), a difference of 13 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. The ΔE 7.9 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 9 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Hazel Gaze vs Sea Salt in Real Spaces
9 real rooms side by side. Hazel Gaze and Sea Salt 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 LRV gap is large enough that Sea Salt will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Hazel Gaze 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. Sea Salt reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Hazel Gaze.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Sea Salt reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Hazel Gaze.
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. Sea Salt returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Sea Salt reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Hazel Gaze.
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. Sea Salt reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Hazel Gaze.
Mudroom
Mudrooms are seen in passing, often under whatever light comes through the door — a context that favors colors with some depth. Sea Salt returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Sea Salt reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Hazel Gaze.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Sea Salt will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Hazel Gaze would.
Color Details
Hazel Gaze vs Sea Salt Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Hazel Gaze on one side and Sea Salt 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.