Hidden Trail vs Link Gray
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Hidden Trail belongs to the greige-grey family and Link Gray to the grey family. Link Gray (LRV 21) reflects noticeably more light than Hidden Trail (LRV 10), a difference of 10 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Hidden Trail runs warm while Link Gray is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 14.1, 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.
Hidden Trail vs Link Gray in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Hidden Trail 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. Link Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Hidden Trail.
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. Link Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Hidden Trail.
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. Link Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Hidden Trail.
Color Details
Hidden Trail vs Link Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Hidden Trail 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 Hidden Trail comparisons
See how Hidden Trail stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 10, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 10), opening up a space where Hidden Trail encloses it.
Hidden Trail reads slightly lighter (LRV 10 vs 6), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 10, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 10, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 10), opening up a space where Hidden Trail encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 10, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 10), opening up a space where Hidden Trail encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 10), opening up a space where Hidden Trail encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 10, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (10 vs 4) makes Hidden Trail the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 10), opening up a space where Hidden Trail encloses it.
With LRVs of 13 and 10, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 10), opening up a space where Hidden Trail encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 10, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (21 vs 10) makes Artichoke the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 10), opening up a space where Hidden Trail encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 10), opening up a space where Hidden Trail encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 10), opening up a space where Hidden Trail encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 10, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 12 and 10, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
With LRVs of 10 and 8, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 10), opening up a space where Hidden Trail encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 10, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 12 and 10, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 10), opening up a space where Hidden Trail encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 10, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.