Ammonite vs Rarified Air
Where Ammonite belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Rarified Air is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Ammonite belongs to the beige-greige family and Rarified Air to the blue-white family. Rarified Air (LRV 78) reflects noticeably more light than Ammonite (LRV 69), a difference of 9 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Ammonite runs warm while Rarified Air is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. The ΔE 7.4 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Ammonite vs Rarified Air in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Ammonite and Rarified Air 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.
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. Rarified Air reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Ammonite.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Rarified Air reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Ammonite.
Color Details
Ammonite vs Rarified Air Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Ammonite on one side and Rarified Air 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 Ammonite comparisons
See how Ammonite stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
