Steep Cliff Gray vs De Nimes
Steep Cliff Gray is a Benjamin Moore color while De Nimes comes from Farrow & Ball. These are both blue-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue-grey to land. With LRVs of 21 and 19, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. The tonal difference — Steep Cliff Gray's blue character against De Nimes's cool — 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 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Steep Cliff Gray vs De Nimes in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Steep Cliff Gray and De Nimes 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
Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. Steep Cliff Gray reads more restrained here, while De Nimes adds a sense of enclosure and warmth.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The temperature contrast between De Nimes and Steep Cliff Gray is what sets these apart most in this context.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The temperature contrast between De Nimes and Steep Cliff Gray is what sets these apart most in this context.
Kitchen Cabinets
On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. The temperature contrast between De Nimes and Steep Cliff Gray is what sets these apart most in this context.
Color Details
Steep Cliff Gray vs De Nimes Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Steep Cliff Gray on one side and De Nimes 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 Steep Cliff Gray comparisons
See how Steep Cliff Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 21, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 21), opening up a space where Steep Cliff Gray encloses it.
At LRV 21 vs 6, Steep Cliff Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 21), opening up a space where Steep Cliff Gray encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reads slightly lighter (LRV 30 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 21, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 21), opening up a space where Steep Cliff Gray encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 21, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (27 vs 21) makes Denim Drift the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 21), opening up a space where Steep Cliff Gray encloses it.
Steep Cliff Gray reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 21, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (21 vs 13) makes Steep Cliff Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 44 vs 21, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 21), opening up a space where Steep Cliff Gray encloses it.
With LRVs of 21 and 21, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 66 vs 21, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 21, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 21, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (21 vs 12) makes Steep Cliff Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 21, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 21), opening up a space where Steep Cliff Gray encloses it.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 21), opening up a space where Steep Cliff Gray encloses it.
Treron reads slightly lighter (LRV 25 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 9-point LRV gap (21 vs 12) makes Steep Cliff Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 21, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Steep Cliff Gray reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Cement grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 24 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 21), opening up a space where Steep Cliff Gray encloses it.