Mercurial vs Thames Fog
Where Mercurial belongs to Sherwin-Williams's range, Thames Fog is a Valspar color. Mercurial reads as greige-grey, while Thames Fog reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Mercurial (LRV 61) reflects noticeably more light than Thames Fog (LRV 27), a difference of 34 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 23.5, 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 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Mercurial vs Thames Fog in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Mercurial and Thames Fog in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Mercurial reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Thames Fog.
Color Details
Mercurial vs Thames Fog Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Mercurial on one side and Thames Fog 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 Mercurial comparisons
See how Mercurial stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
