Steely Gray vs Thames Fog
Where Steely Gray belongs to Sherwin-Williams's range, Thames Fog is a Valspar color. Steely Gray reads as blue-grey, while Thames Fog reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Steely Gray (LRV 30) reflects noticeably more light than Thames Fog (LRV 27), a difference of 3 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 10.7, 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 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Steely Gray vs Thames Fog in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Steely Gray and Thames Fog 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.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. 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
Steely Gray vs Thames Fog Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Steely Gray on one side and Thames Fog 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.
