Frosted Steel vs Passageway
Frosted Steel (Dulux) and Passageway (Valspar) come from different manufacturers. Both sit in the blue-grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. The 58-point LRV gap — 72 for Frosted Steel vs 14 for Passageway — means Frosted Steel will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 43.4 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Frosted Steel vs Passageway in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Frosted Steel and Passageway 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. Frosted Steel reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Passageway.
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. Frosted Steel returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Frosted Steel vs Passageway Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Frosted Steel on one side and Passageway 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 Frosted Steel comparisons
See how Frosted Steel stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
