Chalky Downs 5 vs Denim Drift paint color comparison

Chalky Downs 5 vs Denim Drift

Chalky Downs 5DuluxvsDenim DriftDuluxΔE 33.2 — Very different colors

Both from Dulux's palette. Chalky Downs 5 reads as beige, while Denim Drift reads as blue-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Chalky Downs 5 (LRV 71) reflects noticeably more light than Denim Drift (LRV 27), a difference of 44 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Chalky Downs 5 runs warm while Denim Drift is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 33.2, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Chalky Downs 5 vs Denim Drift in Real Spaces

2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Chalky Downs 5 and Denim Drift 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

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 LRV gap is large enough that Chalky Downs 5 will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Denim Drift would.

Chalky Downs 5Chalky Downs 5 living room color

@home_that_mum_built

Denim DriftDulux Denim Drift living room paint review

@melshousetohome

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. Chalky Downs 5 reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Denim Drift.

Chalky Downs 5Dulux 30YY 71/073 bathroom review

@bddecoratingservices

Denim DriftDulux Denim Drift bathroom color review

@homefunkyhome

Color Details

Chalky Downs 5
Dulux · 30YY 71/073
LRV71.0
BrandDulux
Number30YY 71/073
Undertone—
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessLight
Denim Drift
Dulux · 87BG 27/077
LRV27.0
BrandDulux
Number87BG 27/077
Undertone—
TemperatureCool
BrightnessMedium

Chalky Downs 5 vs Denim Drift Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Chalky Downs 5 on one side and Denim Drift on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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.