Peppercorn vs Passageway
Peppercorn (Sherwin-Williams) and Passageway (Valspar) come from different manufacturers. Peppercorn reads as grey, while Passageway reads as blue-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 5-point LRV gap — 14 for Passageway vs 10 for Peppercorn — means Passageway will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 11.9 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Peppercorn vs Passageway in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Peppercorn and Passageway 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
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Passageway reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Passageway has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
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. Passageway has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Peppercorn vs Passageway Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Peppercorn on one side and Passageway 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.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 10), opening up a space where Peppercorn encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 10, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
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.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 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.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 10 vs 8), 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.
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.