Charcoal Blue vs Downing Slate
Charcoal Blue is a Behr color while Downing Slate comes from Sherwin-Williams. Both sit in the blue-grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. With LRVs of 19 and 21, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. The tonal difference — Charcoal Blue's blue character against Downing Slate's neutral — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. With a ΔE of 2.6, the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side to reliably tell them apart. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Charcoal Blue vs Downing Slate in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Charcoal Blue and Downing Slate 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. Charcoal Blue reads more restrained here, while Downing Slate adds a sense of enclosure and warmth.
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. Charcoal Blue reads more restrained here, while Downing Slate adds a sense of enclosure and warmth.
Color Details
Charcoal Blue vs Downing Slate Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Charcoal Blue on one side and Downing Slate 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 Charcoal Blue comparisons
See how Charcoal Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 19), opening up a space where Charcoal Blue encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 19, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
Charcoal Blue reflects far more light (LRV 19 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 19, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (30 vs 19) makes Evergreen Fog the marginally brighter of the two.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 19), opening up a space where Charcoal Blue encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 19, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 19), opening up a space where Charcoal Blue encloses it.
Denim Drift reads slightly lighter (LRV 27 vs 19), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 19, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 19 vs 4, Charcoal Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 19), opening up a space where Charcoal Blue encloses it.
Charcoal Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 19 vs 13), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 19), opening up a space where Charcoal Blue encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 19, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 21 vs 19), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 19), opening up a space where Charcoal Blue encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 19), opening up a space where Charcoal Blue encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 19), opening up a space where Charcoal Blue encloses it.
Charcoal Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 19 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 19), opening up a space where Charcoal Blue encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 19, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 19, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (25 vs 19) makes Treron the marginally brighter of the two.
Charcoal Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 19 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 19), opening up a space where Charcoal Blue encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 19, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 19 vs 7, Charcoal Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (24 vs 19) makes Cement grey the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 57 vs 19, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.