Naturel vs Popular Gray
Naturel and Popular Gray come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. These are both beige-greiges, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within beige-greige to land. The 8-point LRV gap — 61 for Popular Gray vs 54 for Naturel — means Popular Gray will open up a space more effectively. Both share a warm character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. ΔE 7.0 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.
Naturel vs Popular Gray in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Naturel and Popular 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.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. Popular Gray has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. Popular Gray has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Naturel vs Popular Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Naturel 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.
More Naturel comparisons
See how Naturel stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 54), opening up a space where Naturel encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 54 vs 52), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 54 vs 30, Naturel is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (60 vs 54) makes Agreeable Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Accessible Beige reads slightly lighter (LRV 58 vs 54), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Naturel reflects far more light (LRV 54 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
A 10-point LRV gap (54 vs 43) makes Naturel the marginally brighter of the two.
With LRVs of 55 and 54, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Naturel reads slightly lighter (LRV 54 vs 44), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 54, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 54), opening up a space where Naturel encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 54), opening up a space where Naturel encloses it.
Naturel reflects far more light (LRV 54 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Naturel reflects far more light (LRV 54 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 54), opening up a space where Naturel encloses it.
Naturel reflects far more light (LRV 54 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Naturel reads slightly lighter (LRV 54 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 54 vs 31, Naturel is decisively the brighter choice.