Rock Garden vs Shade-Grown
Rock Garden and Shade-Grown come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Hue-wise, Rock Garden belongs to the green-grey family and Shade-Grown to the grey family. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 8 vs 8 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. Where Rock Garden leans cool, Shade-Grown reads neutral — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. ΔE 4.9 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Rock Garden vs Shade-Grown in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Rock Garden and Shade-Grown 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.
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. Shade-Grown brings more warmth to the space, while Rock Garden keeps things cooler and crisper.
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. Rock Garden reads more restrained here, while Shade-Grown adds a sense of enclosure and warmth.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Rock Garden reads more restrained here, while Shade-Grown adds a sense of enclosure and warmth.
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. Rock Garden reads more restrained here, while Shade-Grown adds a sense of enclosure and warmth.
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. Rock Garden reads more restrained here, while Shade-Grown adds a sense of enclosure and warmth.
Color Details
Rock Garden vs Shade-Grown Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Rock Garden on one side and Shade-Grown 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 Rock Garden comparisons
See how Rock Garden stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 8), opening up a space where Rock Garden encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 8, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 8 and 6, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 52 vs 8, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 8, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 8), opening up a space where Rock Garden encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 8, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 8), opening up a space where Rock Garden encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 8), opening up a space where Rock Garden encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 8, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (8 vs 4) makes Rock Garden the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 8), opening up a space where Rock Garden encloses it.
Bancha reads slightly lighter (LRV 13 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 8), opening up a space where Rock Garden encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 8, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 21 vs 8, Artichoke is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 8), opening up a space where Rock Garden encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 8), opening up a space where Rock Garden encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 8), opening up a space where Rock Garden encloses it.
Pewter Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 8), opening up a space where Rock Garden encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 8, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 8, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 25 vs 8, Treron is decisively the brighter choice.
Vintage Vogue reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 8), opening up a space where Rock Garden encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 8, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 8 vs 7), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 24 vs 8, Cement grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 8, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.