Magnetic Gray vs Retreat
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Magnetic Gray (LRV 46) reflects noticeably more light than Retreat (LRV 21), a difference of 25 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. With a ΔE of 20.7, 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 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Magnetic Gray vs Retreat in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Magnetic Gray and Retreat 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
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 Magnetic Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Retreat 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. Magnetic Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Retreat.
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. Magnetic Gray 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. Magnetic Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Retreat.
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 Magnetic Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Retreat would.
Color Details
Magnetic Gray vs Retreat Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Magnetic Gray on one side and Retreat 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.