Douter vs Basil
Where Douter belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Basil is a Sherwin-Williams color. These are both green-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within green-grey to land. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (15 vs 15), so they'll read as similarly Dark in most lighting conditions. Both lean neutral, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. The ΔE 4.2 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.
Douter vs Basil in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Douter and Basil 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.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Color Details
Douter vs Basil Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Douter on one side and Basil 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 Douter comparisons
See how Douter stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
