They call it Mellow vs Thunder Gray
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. They call it Mellow reads as beige, while Thunder Gray reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. They call it Mellow (LRV 79) reflects noticeably more light than Thunder Gray (LRV 9), a difference of 70 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. They call it Mellow runs warm while Thunder Gray is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 60.1, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
They call it Mellow vs Thunder Gray in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing They call it Mellow and Thunder Gray in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. They call it Mellow reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Thunder Gray.
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. They call it Mellow reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Thunder Gray.
Color Details
They call it Mellow vs Thunder Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see They call it Mellow on one side and Thunder Gray 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 They call it Mellow comparisons
See how They call it Mellow stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
A 4-point LRV gap (83 vs 79) makes White Dove the marginally brighter of the two.
They call it Mellow reads slightly lighter (LRV 79 vs 69), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 79 vs 6, They call it Mellow is decisively the brighter choice.
They call it Mellow reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
They call it Mellow reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
At LRV 79 vs 52, They call it Mellow is decisively the brighter choice.
They call it Mellow reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 60), opening up a space where Agreeable Gray encloses it.
At LRV 79 vs 58, They call it Mellow is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 79 vs 27, They call it Mellow is decisively the brighter choice.
They call it Mellow reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
They call it Mellow reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 79 vs 55, They call it Mellow is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 79 vs 13, They call it Mellow is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 79 vs 44, They call it Mellow is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reads slightly lighter (LRV 84 vs 79), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
They call it Mellow reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
At LRV 79 vs 66, They call it Mellow is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (79 vs 74) makes They call it Mellow the marginally brighter of the two.
A 4-point LRV gap (83 vs 79) makes Snowbound the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 79 vs 12, They call it Mellow is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (79 vs 68) makes They call it Mellow the marginally brighter of the two.
They call it Mellow reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
They call it Mellow reads slightly lighter (LRV 79 vs 68), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
They call it Mellow reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 25), opening up a space where Treron encloses it.
At LRV 79 vs 12, They call it Mellow is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 79 vs 45, They call it Mellow is decisively the brighter choice.
They call it Mellow reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
They call it Mellow reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
They call it Mellow reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
They call it Mellow reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 57), opening up a space where Guilford Green encloses it.