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.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 62), opening up a space where Modern Gray encloses it.
A 6-point LRV gap (69 vs 62) makes Ammonite the marginally brighter of the two.
Modern Gray reflects far more light (LRV 62 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
A 11-point LRV gap (62 vs 52) makes Modern Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 62 vs 30, Modern Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Modern Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 62 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 62 vs 60), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Modern Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 62 vs 58), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Modern Gray reflects far more light (LRV 62 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 62 vs 43, Modern Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 62 vs 4, Modern Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Modern Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 62 vs 55), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Modern Gray reflects far more light (LRV 62 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Modern Gray reflects far more light (LRV 62 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 62, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 62 vs 21, Modern Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter (LRV 66 vs 62), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Shoji White reads slightly lighter (LRV 74 vs 62), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 62), opening up a space where Modern Gray encloses it.
Modern Gray reflects far more light (LRV 62 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 68 vs 62), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 62 vs 41, Modern Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (68 vs 62) makes Calamine the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 62 vs 25, Modern Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Modern Gray reflects far more light (LRV 62 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Modern Gray reflects far more light (LRV 62 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 62 vs 31, Modern Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 62 vs 7, Modern Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 62 vs 24, Modern Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (62 vs 57) makes Modern Gray the marginally brighter of the two.