In The Buff vs Agreeable Gray
In The Buff (PPG) and Agreeable Gray (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. In The Buff reads as beige-greige, while Agreeable Gray reads as greige-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 60 vs 60 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. A ΔE of 2.2 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 9 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
In The Buff vs Agreeable Gray in Real Spaces
9 real rooms side by side. In The Buff and Agreeable Gray are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
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. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
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. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
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. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Home Office
Home office walls matter more than most — you're looking at them all day, and a color that reads fine at first can become tiring over time. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Mudroom
In a hardworking space like a mudroom, the depth and warmth of a color reads differently than in a quieter room. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Front Door
On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Color Details
In The Buff vs Agreeable Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see In The Buff on one side and Agreeable 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 In The Buff comparisons
See how In The Buff stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reads slightly lighter (LRV 69 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 83 vs 60, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 6, In The Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
In The Buff reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
In The Buff reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
A 8-point LRV gap (60 vs 52) makes In The Buff the marginally brighter of the two.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 60 vs 58), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 60 vs 27, In The Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
In The Buff reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
In The Buff reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (60 vs 55) makes In The Buff the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 60 vs 13, In The Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 44, In The Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 60), opening up a space where In The Buff encloses it.
In The Buff reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
A 6-point LRV gap (66 vs 60) makes Balboa Mist the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 74 vs 60, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 60, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
In The Buff reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 51), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 60 vs 12, In The Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 8, In The Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (68 vs 60) makes Skimming Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
In The Buff reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 12, In The Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 45, In The Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
In The Buff reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
In The Buff reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.