Downpour Blue vs Stiffkey Blue
Downpour Blue (Benjamin Moore) and Stiffkey Blue (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Both sit in the blue family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. The 3-point LRV gap — 10 for Stiffkey Blue vs 7 for Downpour Blue — means Stiffkey Blue will open up a space more effectively. Where Downpour Blue leans blue, Stiffkey Blue reads cool — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 16.5 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Downpour Blue vs Stiffkey Blue in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Downpour Blue and Stiffkey Blue in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
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.
Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Color Details
Downpour Blue vs Stiffkey Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Downpour Blue on one side and Stiffkey Blue 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 Downpour Blue comparisons
See how Downpour Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 7, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 7), opening up a space where Downpour Blue encloses it.
With LRVs of 7 and 6, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 52 vs 7, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 7, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 7), opening up a space where Downpour Blue encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 7, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 7), opening up a space where Downpour Blue encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 7), opening up a space where Downpour Blue encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 7, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 3-point LRV gap (7 vs 4) makes Downpour Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 7), opening up a space where Downpour Blue encloses it.
Bancha reads slightly lighter (LRV 13 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 7), opening up a space where Downpour Blue encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 7, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 21 vs 7, Artichoke is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 7), opening up a space where Downpour Blue encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 7), opening up a space where Downpour Blue encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 7), opening up a space where Downpour Blue encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 7, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
Pewter Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
With LRVs of 8 and 7, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 7), opening up a space where Downpour Blue encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 7, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Vintage Vogue reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 7), opening up a space where Downpour Blue encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 7, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.