Inkwell vs Truly Taupe
Inkwell and Truly Taupe come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Hue-wise, Inkwell belongs to the blue-grey family and Truly Taupe to the greige-grey family. The 32-point LRV gap — 35 for Truly Taupe vs 4 for Inkwell — means Truly Taupe will open up a space more effectively. Where Inkwell leans cool, Truly Taupe reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 45.0 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Inkwell vs Truly Taupe in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Inkwell 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. Truly Taupe reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Inkwell.
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. Truly Taupe 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. Truly Taupe reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Inkwell.
Color Details
Inkwell vs Truly Taupe Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Inkwell 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.