Kittiwake vs Salon Drab
Both from Farrow & Ball's palette. Hue-wise, Kittiwake belongs to the blue family and Salon Drab to the greige-grey family. Kittiwake (LRV 39) reflects noticeably more light than Salon Drab (LRV 14), a difference of 25 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Kittiwake runs cool while Salon Drab is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 32.9, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Kittiwake vs Salon Drab in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Kittiwake and Salon Drab 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 Kittiwake will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Salon Drab would.
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. Kittiwake reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Salon Drab.
Color Details
Kittiwake vs Salon Drab Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Kittiwake on one side and Salon Drab 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 Kittiwake comparisons
See how Kittiwake stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 52 vs 39, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Hardwick White reads slightly lighter (LRV 44 vs 39), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 39), opening up a space where Kittiwake encloses it.