Stonewashed Blue vs Alabaster
Where Stonewashed Blue belongs to Dulux's range, Alabaster is a Sherwin-Williams color. Stonewashed Blue reads as blue, while Alabaster reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Alabaster (LRV 82) reflects noticeably more light than Stonewashed Blue (LRV 28), a difference of 54 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Stonewashed Blue runs cool while Alabaster is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 40.2, 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 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Stonewashed Blue vs Alabaster in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Seeing Stonewashed Blue and Alabaster 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 Alabaster will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Stonewashed Blue would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Alabaster reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Stonewashed Blue.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Alabaster reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Stonewashed Blue.
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. Alabaster reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Stonewashed Blue.
Home Office
The test for a home office color isn't how it looks in a quick glance — it's whether it still feels right after a full day of work. Alabaster reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Stonewashed Blue.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Alabaster will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Stonewashed Blue would.
Color Details
Stonewashed Blue vs Alabaster Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Stonewashed Blue on one side and Alabaster 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 Stonewashed Blue comparisons
See how Stonewashed Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
