Ocean Abyss vs Plum Brown
Ocean Abyss (Behr) and Plum Brown (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Ocean Abyss reads as blue, while Plum Brown reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 7 vs 6 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. Where Ocean Abyss leans blue, Plum Brown reads cool — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 21.3 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Ocean Abyss vs Plum Brown in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Ocean Abyss and Plum Brown 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
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Front Door
On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Color Details
Ocean Abyss vs Plum Brown Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Ocean Abyss on one side and Plum Brown 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 Ocean Abyss comparisons
See how Ocean Abyss stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
