Thunder Gray vs Zinc Luster
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Thunder Gray belongs to the grey family and Zinc Luster to the greige-grey family. Zinc Luster (LRV 23) reflects noticeably more light than Thunder Gray (LRV 9), a difference of 14 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Thunder Gray runs neutral while Zinc Luster is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 20.3, 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.
Thunder Gray vs Zinc Luster in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Thunder Gray and Zinc Luster 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. The LRV gap is large enough that Zinc Luster will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Thunder Gray would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Zinc Luster reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Thunder Gray.
Color Details
Thunder Gray vs Zinc Luster Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Thunder Gray on one side and Zinc Luster 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 Thunder Gray comparisons
See how Thunder Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 9, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 9), opening up a space where Thunder Gray encloses it.
A 3-point LRV gap (9 vs 6) makes Thunder Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 9), opening up a space where Thunder Gray encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 9), opening up a space where Thunder Gray encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 9, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 9), opening up a space where Thunder Gray encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 9, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 9, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 9), opening up a space where Thunder Gray encloses it.
Thunder Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 9 vs 4), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 9, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (13 vs 9) makes Bancha the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 44 vs 9, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 9), opening up a space where Thunder Gray encloses it.
Artichoke reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 9), opening up a space where Thunder Gray encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 9, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 9, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 9, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
A 3-point LRV gap (12 vs 9) makes Pewter Green the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 9, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 9), opening up a space where Thunder Gray encloses it.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 9), opening up a space where Thunder Gray encloses it.
Treron reflects far more light (LRV 25 vs 9), opening up a space where Thunder Gray encloses it.
A 3-point LRV gap (12 vs 9) makes Vintage Vogue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 9, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 9), opening up a space where Thunder Gray encloses it.
With LRVs of 9 and 7, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Cement grey reflects far more light (LRV 24 vs 9), opening up a space where Thunder Gray encloses it.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 9), opening up a space where Thunder Gray encloses it.