Mount Etna vs Popular Gray
Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. Mount Etna reads as blue-grey, while Popular Gray reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. At LRV 61 vs 6, Popular Gray will read as the brighter of the two — a 55-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. The tonal difference — Mount Etna's cool character against Popular Gray's warm — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 53.7, 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.
Mount Etna vs Popular Gray in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Mount Etna and Popular Gray 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
Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. Popular Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Dining Room
Dining room light is typically the warmest in the house, which shifts both colors toward the red end of the spectrum compared to daylight. Popular Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Mount Etna.
Kitchen Cabinets
On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. The LRV gap is large enough that Popular Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Mount Etna would.
Color Details
Mount Etna vs Popular Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Mount Etna on one side and Popular Gray 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.