Icy vs Truly Taupe
Icy and Truly Taupe come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Icy reads as blue, while Truly Taupe reads as greige-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 21-point LRV gap — 56 for Icy vs 35 for Truly Taupe — means Icy will open up a space more effectively. Where Icy leans cool, Truly Taupe reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 19.3 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Icy vs Truly Taupe in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Icy and Truly Taupe 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
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Icy reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Truly Taupe.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Icy returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. Icy returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Icy returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Front Door
On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. Icy reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Truly Taupe.
Color Details
Icy vs Truly Taupe Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Icy on one side and Truly Taupe 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 Icy comparisons
See how Icy stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 56), opening up a space where Icy encloses it.
A 4-point LRV gap (56 vs 52) makes Icy the marginally brighter of the two.
A 4-point LRV gap (60 vs 56) makes Agreeable Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
With LRVs of 58 and 56, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Icy reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
With LRVs of 56 and 55, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Icy reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 56, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter (LRV 66 vs 56), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 56), opening up a space where Icy encloses it.
Icy reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Icy reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 68 vs 56), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Icy reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Icy reads slightly lighter (LRV 56 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 56 vs 31, Icy is decisively the brighter choice.