Link Gray vs Soulful Blue
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Link Gray belongs to the grey family and Soulful Blue to the blue-grey family. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (21 vs 20), so they'll read as similarly Medium in most lighting conditions. Link Gray runs neutral while Soulful Blue is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 19.3, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Link Gray vs Soulful Blue in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Link Gray and Soulful Blue in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
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. Soulful Blue brings more warmth to the space, while Link Gray keeps things cooler and crisper.
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. Soulful Blue brings more warmth to the space, while Link Gray keeps things cooler and crisper.
Color Details
Link Gray vs Soulful Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Link Gray on one side and Soulful Blue 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.