House White vs Stiffkey Blue paint color comparison

House White vs Stiffkey Blue

House WhiteFarrow & BallvsStiffkey BlueFarrow & BallΔE 58.4 — Very different colors

Both from Farrow & Ball's palette. House White reads as beige-white, while Stiffkey Blue reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. House White (LRV 78) reflects noticeably more light than Stiffkey Blue (LRV 10), a difference of 68 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. House White runs warm while Stiffkey Blue is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 58.4, 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 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

House White vs Stiffkey Blue in Real Spaces

4 real rooms side by side. Seeing House White and Stiffkey Blue 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 House White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Stiffkey Blue would.

House WhiteFarrow and Ball House White living room

@syscouk

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 living room fireplace

@barnesandmoss

Bedroom

The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. House White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Stiffkey Blue.

House WhiteHouse White bedroom

@postprentisdesign

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 bedroom

@riverapartment

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. House White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Stiffkey Blue.

House WhiteFarrow and Ball House White house exterior

@cs_decorating

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 exterior

@studiotoop

Kitchen Cabinets

Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. House White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Stiffkey Blue.

House WhiteFarrow and Ball House White kitchen cabinets paint

@duddys8home

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 kitchen cabinets

@themiddleterrace

Color Details

House White
Farrow & Ball · 2012
LRV77.8
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number2012
Undertone—
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessLight
Stiffkey Blue
Farrow & Ball · 281
LRV10.0
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number281
Undertone—
TemperatureCool
BrightnessDark

House White vs Stiffkey Blue Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see House White on one side and Stiffkey Blue on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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.