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.