Allegory vs Rain Cloud
Allegory and Rain Cloud come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Allegory reads as grey, while Rain Cloud reads as blue-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 33-point LRV gap — 45 for Allegory vs 11 for Rain Cloud — means Allegory will open up a space more effectively. Where Allegory leans neutral, Rain Cloud reads cool — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 34.1 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Allegory vs Rain Cloud in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Allegory and Rain Cloud in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
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. Allegory returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Allegory reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Rain Cloud.
Color Details
Allegory vs Rain Cloud Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Allegory on one side and Rain Cloud 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 Allegory comparisons
See how Allegory stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 45), opening up a space where Allegory encloses it.
A 7-point LRV gap (52 vs 45) makes Purbeck Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 30, Allegory is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 45, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 45), opening up a space where Allegory encloses it.
Allegory reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 45 vs 43), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Tranquil Dawn reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
With LRVs of 45 and 44, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 84 vs 45, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 45), opening up a space where Allegory encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 45), opening up a space where Allegory encloses it.
Allegory reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Allegory reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 45), opening up a space where Allegory encloses it.
Allegory reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
With LRVs of 45 and 45, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 45 vs 31, Allegory is decisively the brighter choice.