Clean Slate vs Rarified Air
Clean Slate and Rarified Air come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Clean Slate reads as blue-green, while Rarified Air reads as blue-white — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 76 vs 78 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. Where Clean Slate leans neutral, Rarified Air reads cool — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 1.3 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Clean Slate vs Rarified Air in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Clean Slate and Rarified Air 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.
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. Clean Slate reads more restrained here, while Rarified Air adds a sense of enclosure and warmth.
Color Details
Clean Slate vs Rarified Air Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Clean Slate 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 Clean Slate comparisons
See how Clean Slate stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
A 7-point LRV gap (76 vs 69) makes Clean Slate the marginally brighter of the two.
White Dove reads slightly lighter (LRV 83 vs 76), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Clean Slate reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 76 vs 52, Clean Slate is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 76 vs 30, Clean Slate is decisively the brighter choice.
Clean Slate reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 52), opening up a space where Mizzle encloses it.
At LRV 76 vs 60, Clean Slate is decisively the brighter choice.
Clean Slate reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 58), opening up a space where Accessible Beige encloses it.
Clean Slate reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 76 vs 43, Clean Slate is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 76 vs 4, Clean Slate is decisively the brighter choice.
Clean Slate reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 55), opening up a space where Tranquil Dawn encloses it.
Clean Slate reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Clean Slate reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
A 8-point LRV gap (84 vs 76) makes Pure White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 76 vs 21, Clean Slate is decisively the brighter choice.
Clean Slate reads slightly lighter (LRV 76 vs 66), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
With LRVs of 76 and 74, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Snowbound reads slightly lighter (LRV 83 vs 76), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 76 vs 51, Clean Slate is decisively the brighter choice.
Clean Slate reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Clean Slate reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Clean Slate reads slightly lighter (LRV 76 vs 68), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 76 vs 41, Clean Slate is decisively the brighter choice.
Clean Slate reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Clean Slate reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 76 vs 31, Clean Slate is decisively the brighter choice.