Unusual Gray vs Waterloo
Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. Hue-wise, Unusual Gray belongs to the grey family and Waterloo to the blue family. At LRV 38 vs 13, Unusual Gray will read as the brighter of the two — a 25-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. The tonal difference — Unusual Gray's neutral character against Waterloo's cool — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 27.8, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Unusual Gray vs Waterloo in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Unusual Gray and Waterloo 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
Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. Unusual Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Unusual Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Waterloo would.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The LRV gap is large enough that Unusual Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Waterloo would.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Unusual Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Waterloo would.
Kitchen Cabinets
On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. The LRV gap is large enough that Unusual Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Waterloo would.
Color Details
Unusual Gray vs Waterloo Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Unusual Gray on one side and Waterloo 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.