Stonewashed Blue vs Clary Sage
Stonewashed Blue (Dulux) and Clary Sage (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Stonewashed Blue belongs to the blue family and Clary Sage to the greige-grey family. The 13-point LRV gap — 41 for Clary Sage vs 28 for Stonewashed Blue — means Clary Sage will open up a space more effectively. Where Stonewashed Blue leans cool, Clary Sage reads neutral — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 28.2 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Stonewashed Blue vs Clary Sage in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Seeing Stonewashed Blue and Clary Sage 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. Clary Sage reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Stonewashed Blue.
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. Clary Sage 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. Clary Sage 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. Clary Sage returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Home Office
Home office walls matter more than most — you're looking at them all day, and a color that reads fine at first can become tiring over time. Clary Sage returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Front Door
On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. Clary Sage reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Stonewashed Blue.
Color Details
Stonewashed Blue vs Clary Sage Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Stonewashed Blue on one side and Clary Sage 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.
