Mysterious Mauve vs Proper Gray
Mysterious Mauve and Proper Gray come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 37 vs 40 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. Both share a neutral character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. ΔE 5.3 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Mysterious Mauve vs Proper Gray in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Mysterious Mauve and Proper Gray are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Color Details
Mysterious Mauve vs Proper Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Mysterious Mauve on one side and Proper 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.
More Mysterious Mauve comparisons
See how Mysterious Mauve stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 37, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 37), opening up a space where Mysterious Mauve encloses it.
Mysterious Mauve reflects far more light (LRV 37 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 37, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (37 vs 30) makes Mysterious Mauve the marginally brighter of the two.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 37), opening up a space where Mysterious Mauve encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 37, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 37), opening up a space where Mysterious Mauve encloses it.
Mysterious Mauve reads slightly lighter (LRV 37 vs 27), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 6-point LRV gap (43 vs 37) makes French Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 37 vs 4, Mysterious Mauve is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 37), opening up a space where Mysterious Mauve encloses it.
Mysterious Mauve reflects far more light (LRV 37 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Hardwick White reads slightly lighter (LRV 44 vs 37), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 37, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 37 vs 21, Mysterious Mauve is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 37), opening up a space where Mysterious Mauve encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 37), opening up a space where Mysterious Mauve encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 37), opening up a space where Mysterious Mauve encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 37, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
Mysterious Mauve reflects far more light (LRV 37 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Mysterious Mauve reflects far more light (LRV 37 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 37), opening up a space where Mysterious Mauve encloses it.
A 4-point LRV gap (41 vs 37) makes Dix Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
Mysterious Mauve reflects far more light (LRV 37 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reads slightly lighter (LRV 45 vs 37), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 6-point LRV gap (37 vs 31) makes Mysterious Mauve the marginally brighter of the two.