Sticks & Stones vs Virtual Taupe
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. These are both greige-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within greige-grey to land. Sticks & Stones (LRV 31) reflects noticeably more light than Virtual Taupe (LRV 20), a difference of 11 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean warm, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. With a ΔE of 10.9, 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 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Sticks & Stones vs Virtual Taupe in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Sticks & Stones and Virtual Taupe in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Sticks & Stones reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Virtual Taupe.
Color Details
Sticks & Stones vs Virtual Taupe Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Sticks & Stones on one side and Virtual Taupe 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 Sticks & Stones comparisons
See how Sticks & Stones stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 31, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 31), opening up a space where Sticks & Stones encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 6, Sticks & Stones is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 31), opening up a space where Sticks & Stones encloses it.
With LRVs of 31 and 30, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 52 vs 31, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 31), opening up a space where Sticks & Stones encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 31, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (31 vs 27) makes Sticks & Stones the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 43 vs 31), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Sticks & Stones reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 31, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 31 vs 13, Sticks & Stones is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 31, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 31), opening up a space where Sticks & Stones encloses it.
Sticks & Stones reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 31, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 31, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 31, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 31 vs 12, Sticks & Stones is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 31, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 41 vs 31), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 31), opening up a space where Sticks & Stones encloses it.
Sticks & Stones reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 25), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 31 vs 12, Sticks & Stones is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 31, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 31 and 31, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Sticks & Stones reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Sticks & Stones reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 24), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 31), opening up a space where Sticks & Stones encloses it.