Purbeck Stone vs Rarified Air
Where Purbeck Stone belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Rarified Air is a Sherwin-Williams color. Purbeck Stone reads as greige-grey, while Rarified Air reads as blue-white — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Rarified Air (LRV 78) reflects noticeably more light than Purbeck Stone (LRV 52), a difference of 26 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Purbeck Stone runs warm while Rarified Air is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 15.3, 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.
Purbeck Stone vs Rarified Air in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Purbeck Stone and Rarified Air in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
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 Purbeck Stone.
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 Purbeck Stone.
Color Details
Purbeck Stone vs Rarified Air Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Purbeck Stone 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 Purbeck Stone comparisons
See how Purbeck Stone stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
