Imperial Gray vs Down Pipe
Imperial Gray is a Behr color while Down Pipe comes from Farrow & Ball. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. With LRVs of 14 and 13, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. The tonal difference — Imperial Gray's blue character against Down Pipe's neutral — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. With a ΔE of 2.2, 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.
Imperial Gray vs Down Pipe in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Imperial Gray and Down Pipe 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.
Dining Room
Dining room light is typically the warmest in the house, which shifts both colors toward the red end of the spectrum compared to daylight. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
Color Details
Imperial Gray vs Down Pipe Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Imperial Gray on one side and Down Pipe 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 Imperial Gray comparisons
See how Imperial Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
