Thunder Gray vs Paper
Where Thunder Gray belongs to Sherwin-Williams's range, Paper is a Tikkurila color. Hue-wise, Thunder Gray belongs to the grey family and Paper to the beige-greige family. Paper (LRV 88) reflects noticeably more light than Thunder Gray (LRV 9), a difference of 80 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 60.0, 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 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Thunder Gray vs Paper in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Thunder Gray and Paper 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 Paper 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. Paper reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Thunder Gray.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Paper 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. Paper reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Thunder Gray.
Color Details
Thunder Gray vs Paper Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Thunder Gray on one side and Paper 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.
