Stiffkey Blue vs Pigeon Feather

Stiffkey BlueFarrow & BallvsPigeon FeatherPPGΔE 38.8Very different colors

Stiffkey Blue (Farrow & Ball) and Pigeon Feather (PPG) come from different manufacturers. Stiffkey Blue reads as blue, while Pigeon Feather reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 38-point LRV gap — 48 for Pigeon Feather vs 10 for Stiffkey Blue — means Pigeon Feather will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 38.8 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 8 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Stiffkey Blue vs Pigeon Feather in Real Spaces

8 real rooms side by side. Seeing Stiffkey Blue and Pigeon Feather 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

A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Pigeon Feather reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Stiffkey Blue.

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 living room fireplace

@barnesandmoss

Pigeon FeatherA mid century living room painted in Pigeon Feather

@simplywalldecor

Bedroom

Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Pigeon Feather returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 bedroom

@riverapartment

Pigeon FeatherA organic modern bedroom painted in Pigeon Feather

@simplywalldecor

Kitchen

Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Pigeon Feather returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 kitchen

@jonospink

Pigeon FeatherPigeon Feather — classy kitchen cabinets

@simplywalldecor

Dining Room

Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The LRV gap is large enough that Pigeon Feather will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Stiffkey Blue would.

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 dining room

@de_drye_kaasen

Pigeon FeatherPigeon Feather paint in a parisian dining room

@simplywalldecor

Bathroom

Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. Pigeon Feather returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 bathroom

@stowflat

Pigeon FeatherPigeon Feather — minimalist bathroom

@simplywalldecor

Home Office

Home office walls matter more than most — you're looking at them all day, and a color that reads fine at first can become tiring over time. Pigeon Feather returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 home office

@mylovelyhouseideas

Pigeon FeatherPPG Pigeon Feather in a industrial home office

@simplywalldecor

House

A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Pigeon Feather returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 exterior

@studiotoop

Pigeon FeatherPigeon Feather color — transitional house inspiration

@simplywalldecor

Front Door

On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. Pigeon Feather reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Stiffkey Blue.

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 front door

@the_burgess_group

Pigeon Feathercottagecore front door featuring Pigeon Feather by PPG

@simplywalldecor

Color Details

Stiffkey Blue
Farrow & Ball · 281
Hex#4d5b6a
LRV10.0
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number281
Undertone
TemperatureCool
BrightnessDark
Pigeon Feather
PPG · PPG0995-4
Hex#b9b9b7
LRV48.0
BrandPPG
NumberPPG0995-4
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessMedium

Stiffkey Blue vs Pigeon Feather Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Stiffkey Blue on one side and Pigeon Feather 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.

More Stiffkey Blue comparisons

See how Stiffkey Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
Stiffkey Blue
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Stiffkey Blue
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
Stiffkey Blue
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Stiffkey Blue reads slightly lighter

Purbeck Stone
Stiffkey Blue
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone is the lighter choice

Evergreen Fog
Stiffkey Blue
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Evergreen Fog reads noticeably lighter

Mizzle
Stiffkey Blue
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle is the lighter choice

Agreeable Gray
Stiffkey Blue
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray is the lighter choice

Accessible Beige
Stiffkey Blue
Accessible Beige
Sherwin-Williams
Accessible Beige
LRV 58

Accessible Beige is the lighter choice

Denim Drift
Stiffkey Blue
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Denim Drift reads noticeably lighter

French Gray
Stiffkey Blue
French Gray
Farrow & Ball
French Gray
LRV 43

French Gray is the lighter choice

Naval
Stiffkey Blue
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

Stiffkey Blue reads slightly lighter

Tranquil Dawn
Stiffkey Blue
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn is the lighter choice

Bancha
Stiffkey Blue
Bancha
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

Bancha reads slightly lighter

Hardwick White
Stiffkey Blue
Hardwick White
Farrow & Ball
Hardwick White
LRV 44

Hardwick White is the lighter choice

Pure White
Stiffkey Blue
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams
Pure White
LRV 84

Pure White is the lighter choice

Artichoke
Stiffkey Blue
Artichoke
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

Artichoke reads slightly lighter

Balboa Mist
Stiffkey Blue
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Shoji White
Stiffkey Blue
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams
Shoji White
LRV 74

Shoji White is the lighter choice

Snowbound
Stiffkey Blue
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound is the lighter choice

Pewter Green
Stiffkey Blue
Pewter Green
Sherwin-Williams
Pewter Green
LRV 12

Nearly identical in tone

Skimming Stone
Stiffkey Blue
Skimming Stone
Farrow & Ball
Skimming Stone
LRV 68

Skimming Stone is the lighter choice

Dix Blue
Stiffkey Blue
Dix Blue
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

Dix Blue is the lighter choice

Calamine
Stiffkey Blue
Calamine
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68

Calamine is the lighter choice

Treron
Stiffkey Blue
Treron
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25

Treron reads noticeably lighter

Vintage Vogue
Stiffkey Blue
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Nearly identical in tone

Saybrook Sage
Stiffkey Blue
Saybrook Sage
Benjamin Moore
Saybrook Sage
LRV 45

Saybrook Sage is the lighter choice

Pale Green
Stiffkey Blue
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Pale Green reads noticeably lighter

Pine Needle
Stiffkey Blue
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Stiffkey Blue reads slightly lighter

Cement grey
Stiffkey Blue
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Cement grey reads noticeably lighter

Guilford Green
Stiffkey Blue
Guilford Green
Benjamin Moore
Guilford Green
LRV 57

Guilford Green is the lighter choice

Stiffkey Blue vs Pigeon Feather Paint Color Comparison