Cocoon vs Hardware
Cocoon and Hardware come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. These are both greige-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within greige-grey to land. The 8-point LRV gap — 23 for Hardware vs 15 for Cocoon — means Hardware will open up a space more effectively. Both share a warm character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. ΔE 9.6 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Cocoon vs Hardware in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Cocoon and Hardware 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. Hardware reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Cocoon.
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 Hardware will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Cocoon would.
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. Hardware returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Cocoon vs Hardware Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cocoon on one side and Hardware 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 Cocoon comparisons
See how Cocoon stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 15), opening up a space where Cocoon encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 15, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 15, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 15, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 15), opening up a space where Cocoon encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 15), opening up a space where Cocoon encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 15, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 15), opening up a space where Cocoon encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 15), opening up a space where Cocoon encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 15, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 15), opening up a space where Cocoon encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 15), opening up a space where Cocoon encloses it.
Cocoon reads slightly lighter (LRV 15 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Cocoon reads slightly lighter (LRV 15 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 15), opening up a space where Cocoon encloses it.
Cocoon reads slightly lighter (LRV 15 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 15), opening up a space where Cocoon encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 15, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.