Steely Gaze vs Agreeable Gray
Where Steely Gaze belongs to PPG's range, Agreeable Gray is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Steely Gaze belongs to the grey family and Agreeable Gray to the greige-grey family. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (60 vs 60), so they'll read as similarly Light in most lighting conditions. The ΔE 4.6 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 9 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Steely Gaze vs Agreeable Gray in Real Spaces
9 real rooms side by side. Steely Gaze 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
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Dining Room
A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Home Office
The test for a home office color isn't how it looks in a quick glance — it's whether it still feels right after a full day of work. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Mudroom
Mudrooms are seen in passing, often under whatever light comes through the door — a context that favors colors with some depth. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Color Details
Steely Gaze vs Agreeable Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Steely Gaze 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 Steely Gaze comparisons
See how Steely Gaze stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
A 9-point LRV gap (69 vs 60) makes Ammonite the marginally brighter of the two.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 60), opening up a space where Steely Gaze encloses it.
Steely Gaze reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
A 8-point LRV gap (60 vs 52) makes Steely Gaze the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 60 vs 30, Steely Gaze is decisively the brighter choice.
Steely Gaze reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
With LRVs of 60 and 58, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Steely Gaze reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 43, Steely Gaze is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 4, Steely Gaze is decisively the brighter choice.
Steely Gaze reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 55), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Steely Gaze reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Steely Gaze reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 60, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 21, Steely Gaze is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter (LRV 66 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 60), opening up a space where Steely Gaze encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 60), opening up a space where Steely Gaze encloses it.
A 9-point LRV gap (60 vs 51) makes Steely Gaze the marginally brighter of the two.
Steely Gaze reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Steely Gaze reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 68 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 60 vs 41, Steely Gaze is decisively the brighter choice.
Steely Gaze reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Steely Gaze reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 31, Steely Gaze is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 7, Steely Gaze is decisively the brighter choice.