El Capitan vs Skimming Stone

El CapitanBehrvsSkimming StoneFarrow & BallΔE 49.6Very different colors

Where El Capitan belongs to Behr's range, Skimming Stone is a Farrow & Ball color. El Capitan reads as blue, while Skimming Stone reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Skimming Stone (LRV 68) reflects noticeably more light than El Capitan (LRV 25), a difference of 43 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. El Capitan runs blue while Skimming Stone is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 49.6, 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 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

El Capitan vs Skimming Stone in Real Spaces

5 real rooms side by side. Seeing El Capitan and Skimming Stone in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.

Living Room

In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The LRV gap is large enough that Skimming Stone will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than El Capitan would.

El CapitanBehr El Capitan living room interior

Visualization

Skimming StoneFarrow and Ball Skimming Stone 241 living room

@crosspool_eclectic

Bedroom

The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Skimming Stone reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than El Capitan.

El CapitanBehr El Capitan bedroom

Visualization

Skimming StoneFarrow and Ball Skimming Stone 241 bedroom

@theedinburghtenement

Kitchen

In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Skimming Stone reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than El Capitan.

El CapitanBehr El Capitan kitchen painted backsplash

Visualization

Skimming StoneFarrow and Ball Skimming Stone 241 kitchen

@home_at_eden_gardens

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. Skimming Stone reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than El Capitan.

El CapitanBehr El Capitan bathroom

Visualization

Skimming StoneFarrow and Ball Skimming Stone 241 bathroom

@hawkinskb

Kitchen Cabinets

Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Skimming Stone reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than El Capitan.

El CapitanBehr El Capitan kitchen cabinets

Visualization

Skimming StoneFarrow and Ball Skimming Stone 241 kitchen cabinets

@therichardshome23

Color Details

El Capitan
Behr · MQ4-56
Hex#2ba8da
LRV24.9
BrandBehr
NumberMQ4-56
UndertoneBlue
TemperatureCool
BrightnessDark
Skimming Stone
Farrow & Ball · 241
Hex#dfd6cb
LRV68.1
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number241
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessLight

El Capitan vs Skimming Stone Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see El Capitan on one side and Skimming Stone on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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 El Capitan comparisons

See how El Capitan stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
El Capitan
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
El Capitan
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
El Capitan
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

El Capitan reads noticeably lighter

Purbeck Stone
El Capitan
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone is the lighter choice

Evergreen Fog
El Capitan
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Evergreen Fog reads slightly lighter

Mizzle
El Capitan
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle is the lighter choice

Agreeable Gray
El Capitan
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray is the lighter choice

Accessible Beige
El Capitan
Accessible Beige
Sherwin-Williams
Accessible Beige
LRV 58

Accessible Beige is the lighter choice

Denim Drift
El Capitan
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Nearly identical in tone

French Gray
El Capitan
French Gray
Farrow & Ball
French Gray
LRV 43

French Gray reads noticeably lighter

Naval
El Capitan
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

El Capitan reads noticeably lighter

Tranquil Dawn
El Capitan
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn is the lighter choice

Bancha
El Capitan
Bancha
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

El Capitan reads slightly lighter

Hardwick White
El Capitan
Hardwick White
Farrow & Ball
Hardwick White
LRV 44

Hardwick White reads noticeably lighter

Pure White
El Capitan
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams
Pure White
LRV 84

Pure White is the lighter choice

Artichoke
El Capitan
Artichoke
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

El Capitan reads slightly lighter

Balboa Mist
El Capitan
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Shoji White
El Capitan
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams
Shoji White
LRV 74

Shoji White is the lighter choice

Snowbound
El Capitan
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound is the lighter choice

Pewter Green
El Capitan
Pewter Green
Sherwin-Williams
Pewter Green
LRV 12

El Capitan reads noticeably lighter

Dix Blue
El Capitan
Dix Blue
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

Dix Blue reads noticeably lighter

Calamine
El Capitan
Calamine
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68

Calamine is the lighter choice

Treron
El Capitan
Treron
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25

Nearly identical in tone

Vintage Vogue
El Capitan
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

El Capitan reads noticeably lighter

Saybrook Sage
El Capitan
Saybrook Sage
Benjamin Moore
Saybrook Sage
LRV 45

Saybrook Sage reads noticeably lighter

Pale Green
El Capitan
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Pale Green reads slightly lighter

Pine Needle
El Capitan
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

El Capitan reads noticeably lighter

Cement grey
El Capitan
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Nearly identical in tone

Guilford Green
El Capitan
Guilford Green
Benjamin Moore
Guilford Green
LRV 57

Guilford Green is the lighter choice

Just Walnut
El Capitan
Just Walnut
Dulux
Just Walnut
LRV 72

Just Walnut is the lighter choice