Rarified Air vs Winsome Grey
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Rarified Air belongs to the blue-white family and Winsome Grey to the grey-white family. Winsome Grey (LRV 81) reflects noticeably more light than Rarified Air (LRV 78), a difference of 3 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Rarified Air runs cool while Winsome Grey is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. At ΔE 1.9, these are close — the kind of difference that matters when choosing between them, but doesn't read strongly in a finished room. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Rarified Air vs Winsome Grey in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Rarified Air and Winsome Grey 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 Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Winsome Grey brings more warmth to the space, while Rarified Air keeps things cooler and crisper.
Color Details
Rarified Air vs Winsome Grey Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Rarified Air on one side and Winsome Grey 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 Rarified Air comparisons
See how Rarified Air stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
