Steely Gray vs Passageway
Steely Gray is a Sherwin-Williams color while Passageway comes from Valspar. Both sit in the blue-grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. At LRV 30 vs 14, Steely Gray will read as the brighter of the two — a 16-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 18.6, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Steely Gray vs Passageway in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Steely Gray 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
Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. Steely Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The LRV gap is large enough that Steely Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Passageway would.
Color Details
Steely Gray vs Passageway Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Steely Gray 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 Steely Gray comparisons
See how Steely Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
