Arctic Grey vs Snowbound
Arctic Grey (Jotun) and Snowbound (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Arctic Grey belongs to the blue-grey family and Snowbound to the beige-greige family. The 50-point LRV gap — 83 for Snowbound vs 32 for Arctic Grey — means Snowbound will open up a space more effectively. Where Arctic Grey leans neutral, Snowbound reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 29.7 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Arctic Grey vs Snowbound in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Seeing Arctic Grey and Snowbound 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
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Snowbound reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Arctic Grey.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Snowbound returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Snowbound returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The LRV gap is large enough that Snowbound will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Arctic Grey would.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. Snowbound returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. Snowbound returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Arctic Grey vs Snowbound Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Arctic Grey on one side and Snowbound 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 Arctic Grey comparisons
See how Arctic Grey stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 32), opening up a space where Arctic Grey encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 32, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 32 vs 6, Arctic Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 32), opening up a space where Arctic Grey encloses it.
With LRVs of 32 and 30, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 52 vs 32, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 32), opening up a space where Arctic Grey encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 32, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (32 vs 27) makes Arctic Grey the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 43 vs 32), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Arctic Grey reflects far more light (LRV 32 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 32, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 32 vs 13, Arctic Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (44 vs 32) makes Hardwick White the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 32), opening up a space where Arctic Grey encloses it.
Arctic Grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 32 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 32, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 32, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 32), opening up a space where Arctic Grey encloses it.
At LRV 32 vs 12, Arctic Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 32 vs 8, Arctic Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 32, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 41 vs 32), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 32 vs 12, Arctic Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 32, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 32 and 31, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Arctic Grey reflects far more light (LRV 32 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.