Dusty Heather vs Link Gray
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Dusty Heather belongs to the blue-grey family and Link Gray to the grey family. Dusty Heather (LRV 28) reflects noticeably more light than Link Gray (LRV 21), a difference of 7 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Dusty Heather runs cool while Link Gray is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 19.3, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Dusty Heather vs Link Gray in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Dusty Heather and Link Gray in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Dusty Heather reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Dusty Heather reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Dusty Heather reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Dusty Heather vs Link Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Dusty Heather on one side and Link 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 Dusty Heather comparisons
See how Dusty Heather stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 28, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 28), opening up a space where Dusty Heather encloses it.
Dusty Heather reflects far more light (LRV 28 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 28, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 30 vs 28), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 28), opening up a space where Dusty Heather encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 28, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 28), opening up a space where Dusty Heather encloses it.
With LRVs of 28 and 27, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 43 vs 28, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 28 vs 4, Dusty Heather is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 28), opening up a space where Dusty Heather encloses it.
Dusty Heather reflects far more light (LRV 28 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 28), opening up a space where Dusty Heather encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 28, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (28 vs 21) makes Dusty Heather the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 28), opening up a space where Dusty Heather encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 28), opening up a space where Dusty Heather encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 28), opening up a space where Dusty Heather encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 28, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
Dusty Heather reflects far more light (LRV 28 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Dusty Heather reflects far more light (LRV 28 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 28), opening up a space where Dusty Heather encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 28, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Dusty Heather reflects far more light (LRV 28 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 28), opening up a space where Dusty Heather encloses it.
A 3-point LRV gap (31 vs 28) makes Pale Green the marginally brighter of the two.