Castlegate vs Gray Matters
Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. With LRVs of 37 and 39, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. They share a neutral quality — useful to know if you're layering them in the same space. At ΔE 3.8, the difference is perceptible but not dramatic — the two can work harmoniously in the same space. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Castlegate vs Gray Matters in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Castlegate and Gray Matters 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
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. 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.
Kitchen
Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. 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.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. 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.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. 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.
Front Door
Front doors are seen in isolation against the rest of the facade, which makes them a high-stakes surface where even subtle differences matter. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Color Details
Castlegate vs Gray Matters Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Castlegate on one side and Gray Matters 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 Castlegate comparisons
See how Castlegate stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 37, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 37), opening up a space where Castlegate encloses it.
Castlegate reflects far more light (LRV 37 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 37, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (37 vs 30) makes Castlegate the marginally brighter of the two.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 37), opening up a space where Castlegate encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 37, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 37), opening up a space where Castlegate encloses it.
Castlegate reads slightly lighter (LRV 37 vs 27), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 6-point LRV gap (43 vs 37) makes French Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 37 vs 4, Castlegate is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 37), opening up a space where Castlegate encloses it.
Castlegate reflects far more light (LRV 37 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Hardwick White reads slightly lighter (LRV 44 vs 37), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 37, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 37 vs 21, Castlegate is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 37), opening up a space where Castlegate encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 37), opening up a space where Castlegate encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 37), opening up a space where Castlegate encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 37, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
Castlegate reflects far more light (LRV 37 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Castlegate reflects far more light (LRV 37 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 37), opening up a space where Castlegate encloses it.
A 4-point LRV gap (41 vs 37) makes Dix Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
Castlegate reflects far more light (LRV 37 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reads slightly lighter (LRV 45 vs 37), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 6-point LRV gap (37 vs 31) makes Castlegate the marginally brighter of the two.