Camelback vs Downing Straw
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. These are both beiges, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within beige to land. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (42 vs 43), so they'll read as similarly Medium in most lighting conditions. Both lean warm, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. The ΔE 5.2 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Camelback vs Downing Straw in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Camelback and Downing Straw 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.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Color Details
Camelback vs Downing Straw Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Camelback on one side and Downing Straw 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 Camelback comparisons
See how Camelback stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 42), opening up a space where Camelback encloses it.
A 10-point LRV gap (52 vs 42) makes Purbeck Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
A 12-point LRV gap (42 vs 30) makes Camelback the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 60 vs 42, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 42), opening up a space where Camelback encloses it.
Camelback reflects far more light (LRV 42 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 43 vs 42), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 42), opening up a space where Camelback encloses it.
With LRVs of 44 and 42, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 84 vs 42, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 42), opening up a space where Camelback encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 42), opening up a space where Camelback encloses it.
Camelback reflects far more light (LRV 42 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 42), opening up a space where Camelback encloses it.
Camelback reflects far more light (LRV 42 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reads slightly lighter (LRV 45 vs 42), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 11-point LRV gap (42 vs 31) makes Camelback the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 42 vs 7, Camelback is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 42 vs 24, Camelback is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 42, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.