Stiffkey Blue vs Drift of Mist

Stiffkey Blue is a Farrow & Ball color while Drift of Mist comes from Sherwin-Williams. Stiffkey Blue reads as blue, while Drift of Mist reads as greige-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. At LRV 69 vs 10, Drift of Mist will read as the brighter of the two — a 59-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. The tonal difference — Stiffkey Blue's cool character against Drift of Mist's warm — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 50.6, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 9 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Stiffkey Blue vs Drift of Mist in Real Spaces

9 real rooms side by side. Seeing Stiffkey Blue and Drift of Mist 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

Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. Drift of Mist 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 living room fireplace

@barnesandmoss

Drift of MistDrift of Mist SW 9166 living room

@mybudgetrecipes

Bedroom

Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Drift of Mist will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Stiffkey Blue would.

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 bedroom

@riverapartment

Drift of MistBedroom painted in Sherwin-Williams Drift of Mist

@mybudgetrecipes

Kitchen

Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The LRV gap is large enough that Drift of Mist will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Stiffkey Blue would.

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 kitchen

@jonospink

Drift of MistSherwin Williams Drift of Mist kitchen cabinets

@mybudgetrecipes

Dining Room

Dining room light is typically the warmest in the house, which shifts both colors toward the red end of the spectrum compared to daylight. Drift of Mist reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Stiffkey Blue.

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 dining room

@de_drye_kaasen

Drift of MistDining room with light grey Drift of Mist walls

@montgomery_manor

Bathroom

Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The LRV gap is large enough that Drift of Mist will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Stiffkey Blue would.

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 bathroom

@stowflat

Drift of MistBeige bathroom in Drift of Mist by Sherwin Williams

@mybudgetrecipes

Home Office

In a home office, wall color sits in your peripheral vision for hours at a time, so temperature and undertone matter more than you might expect. The LRV gap is large enough that Drift of Mist will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Stiffkey Blue would.

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 home office

@mylovelyhouseideas

Drift of MistSW 9166 home office inspiration

@mybudgetrecipes

House

At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Drift of Mist will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Stiffkey Blue would.

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 exterior

@studiotoop

Drift of MistDrift of Mist house color review

@mybudgetrecipes

Front Door

Front doors are seen in isolation against the rest of the facade, which makes them a high-stakes surface where even subtle differences matter. Drift of Mist 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 front door

@the_burgess_group

Drift of MistBeige front door with Drift of Mist SW 9166

@mybudgetrecipes

Kitchen Cabinets

On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. The LRV gap is large enough that Drift of Mist will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Stiffkey Blue would.

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 kitchen cabinets

@themiddleterrace

Drift of MistDrift of Mist kitchen cabinets color

@bizzylizzydesigns

Color Details

Stiffkey Blue
Farrow & Ball · 281
Hex#4d5b6a
LRV10.0
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number281
Undertone
TemperatureCool
BrightnessDark
Drift of Mist
Sherwin-Williams · 9166
Hex#DCD8D0
LRV69.1
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number9166
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessLight

Stiffkey Blue vs Drift of Mist Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Stiffkey Blue on one side and Drift of Mist 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