Blackwater vs Skimming Stone
Blackwater (Cloverdale Paint) and Skimming Stone (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Blackwater reads as blue-grey, while Skimming Stone reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 56-point LRV gap — 68 for Skimming Stone vs 12 for Blackwater — means Skimming Stone will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 47.3 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Blackwater vs Skimming Stone in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Blackwater and Skimming Stone 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. Skimming Stone reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Blackwater.
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. Skimming Stone returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Skimming Stone returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Skimming Stone returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Blackwater vs Skimming Stone Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Blackwater on one side and Skimming Stone 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 Blackwater comparisons
See how Blackwater stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 12), opening up a space where Blackwater encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 12, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
Blackwater reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 6), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 12, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 12, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 12), opening up a space where Blackwater encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 12, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 12), opening up a space where Blackwater encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 12), opening up a space where Blackwater encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 12, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (12 vs 4) makes Blackwater the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 12), opening up a space where Blackwater encloses it.
With LRVs of 13 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 12), opening up a space where Blackwater encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 12, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (21 vs 12) makes Artichoke the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 12), opening up a space where Blackwater encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 12), opening up a space where Blackwater encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 12), opening up a space where Blackwater encloses it.
With LRVs of 12 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 41 vs 12, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 12, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 25 vs 12, Treron is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 12 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 12), opening up a space where Blackwater encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 12, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (12 vs 7) makes Blackwater the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 24 vs 12, Cement grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 12, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 12, Just Walnut is decisively the brighter choice.