Imagine vs Mountain Air
Imagine and Mountain Air come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Hue-wise, Imagine belongs to the grey family and Mountain Air to the blue-grey family. The 25-point LRV gap — 73 for Mountain Air vs 48 for Imagine — means Mountain Air will open up a space more effectively. Where Imagine leans warm, Mountain Air reads cool — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 15.4 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Imagine vs Mountain Air in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Imagine and Mountain Air in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The LRV gap is large enough that Mountain Air will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Imagine would.
Color Details
Imagine vs Mountain Air Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Imagine on one side and Mountain Air 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 Imagine comparisons
See how Imagine stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 48, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 48), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Imagine reflects far more light (LRV 48 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 48), opening up a space where Imagine encloses it.
A 9-point LRV gap (58 vs 48) makes Accessible Beige the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 48 vs 27, Imagine is decisively the brighter choice.
Imagine reads slightly lighter (LRV 48 vs 43), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 7-point LRV gap (55 vs 48) makes Tranquil Dawn the marginally brighter of the two.
A 5-point LRV gap (48 vs 44) makes Imagine the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 48), opening up a space where Imagine encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 48, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 48, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 48 vs 12, Imagine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 48 vs 8, Imagine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 48, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 48 vs 12, Imagine is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 48 vs 45), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Imagine reflects far more light (LRV 48 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.