Modern Gray vs Soulful Blue
Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. Hue-wise, Modern Gray belongs to the beige-greige family and Soulful Blue to the blue-grey family. At LRV 62 vs 20, Modern Gray will read as the brighter of the two — a 42-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. The tonal difference — Modern Gray's warm character against Soulful Blue's cool — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 36.2, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Modern Gray vs Soulful Blue in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Modern 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.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Modern Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Soulful Blue would.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The LRV gap is large enough that Modern Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Soulful Blue would.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Modern Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Soulful Blue would.
Color Details
Modern Gray vs Soulful Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Modern 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.
More Modern Gray comparisons
See how Modern Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 62 vs 60), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 62), opening up a space where Modern Gray encloses it.