Blue Iris vs Clean Slate
Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. Blue Iris reads as blue-grey, while Clean Slate reads as blue-green — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. At LRV 76 vs 73, Clean Slate will read as the brighter of the two — a 3-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. They share a neutral quality — useful to know if you're layering them in the same space. With a ΔE of 2.3, the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side to reliably tell them apart. Below you'll find 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Blue Iris vs Clean Slate in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Blue Iris and Clean Slate are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
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. Clean Slate has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The brightness difference is modest but present — Clean Slate gives the walls a little more lift.
Kitchen
Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The brightness difference is modest but present — Clean Slate gives the walls a little more lift.
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. Clean Slate reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The brightness difference is modest but present — Clean Slate gives the walls a little more lift.
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 brightness difference is modest but present — Clean Slate gives the walls a little more lift.
Mudroom
A mudroom color needs to hold up under the most casual scrutiny: a glance as you're coming and going, often in mixed or artificial light. Clean Slate reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Patio
Patio colors are seen under changing outdoor light throughout the day — morning, midday, and golden hour each reveal different qualities. Clean Slate reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The brightness difference is modest but present — Clean Slate gives the walls a little more lift.
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. Clean Slate has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Blue Iris vs Clean Slate Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Blue Iris on one side and Clean Slate 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 Blue Iris comparisons
See how Blue Iris stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
A 10-point LRV gap (83 vs 73) makes White Dove the marginally brighter of the two.
Blue Iris reflects far more light (LRV 73 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Blue Iris reflects far more light (LRV 73 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Blue Iris reflects far more light (LRV 73 vs 60), opening up a space where Agreeable Gray encloses it.
At LRV 73 vs 58, Blue Iris is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 73 vs 27, Blue Iris is decisively the brighter choice.
Blue Iris reflects far more light (LRV 73 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
At LRV 73 vs 55, Blue Iris is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 73 vs 44, Blue Iris is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reads slightly lighter (LRV 84 vs 73), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 7-point LRV gap (73 vs 66) makes Blue Iris the marginally brighter of the two.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 74 vs 73), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 73 vs 12, Blue Iris is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (73 vs 68) makes Blue Iris the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 73 vs 12, Blue Iris is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 73 vs 45, Blue Iris is decisively the brighter choice.
Blue Iris reflects far more light (LRV 73 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Blue Iris reflects far more light (LRV 73 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Blue Iris reflects far more light (LRV 73 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Blue Iris reflects far more light (LRV 73 vs 57), opening up a space where Guilford Green encloses it.