Peppercorn vs Thunder Gray
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (10 vs 9), so they'll read as similarly Dark in most lighting conditions. Both lean neutral, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. With a ΔE of NaN, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Peppercorn vs Thunder Gray in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Peppercorn and Thunder 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
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. 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.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Color Details
Peppercorn vs Thunder Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Peppercorn on one side and Thunder 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 Peppercorn comparisons
See how Peppercorn stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 10, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 10), opening up a space where Peppercorn encloses it.
A 4-point LRV gap (10 vs 6) makes Peppercorn the marginally brighter of the two.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 10), opening up a space where Peppercorn encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 10), opening up a space where Peppercorn encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 10, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 10), opening up a space where Peppercorn encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 10, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 10, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 10), opening up a space where Peppercorn encloses it.
Peppercorn reads slightly lighter (LRV 10 vs 4), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 10, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (13 vs 10) makes Bancha the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 44 vs 10, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 10), opening up a space where Peppercorn encloses it.
Artichoke reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 10), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 10, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 10, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 10, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 10), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 10, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 10), opening up a space where Peppercorn encloses it.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 10), opening up a space where Peppercorn encloses it.
Treron reflects far more light (LRV 25 vs 10), opening up a space where Peppercorn encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 10), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 45 vs 10, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 10), opening up a space where Peppercorn encloses it.
With LRVs of 10 and 7, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Cement grey reflects far more light (LRV 24 vs 10), opening up a space where Peppercorn encloses it.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 10), opening up a space where Peppercorn encloses it.