Charcoal Slate vs Downing Slate
Where Charcoal Slate belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Downing Slate is a Sherwin-Williams color. Charcoal Slate reads as grey, while Downing Slate reads as blue-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Downing Slate (LRV 21) reflects noticeably more light than Charcoal Slate (LRV 15), a difference of 6 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Charcoal Slate runs blue while Downing Slate is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. The ΔE 9.9 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Charcoal Slate vs Downing Slate in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Charcoal Slate 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
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 brightness difference is modest but present — Downing Slate gives the walls a little more lift.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Downing Slate reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Downing Slate reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Downing Slate reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The brightness difference is modest but present — Downing Slate gives the walls a little more lift.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Downing Slate reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Charcoal Slate vs Downing Slate Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Charcoal Slate 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 Slate comparisons
See how Charcoal Slate stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
