Steel Symphony 1 vs Distance
Steel Symphony 1 (Dulux) and Distance (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Steel Symphony 1 belongs to the blue-grey family and Distance to the blue family. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 17 vs 15 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. Both share a cool character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. A ΔE of 2.9 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Steel Symphony 1 vs Distance in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Steel Symphony 1 and Distance 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
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. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
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. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
Color Details
Steel Symphony 1 vs Distance Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Steel Symphony 1 on one side and Distance 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 Steel Symphony 1 comparisons
See how Steel Symphony 1 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
