Downing Earth vs Foothills
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Both sit in the greige-grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (20 vs 18), 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 4.2 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Downing Earth vs Foothills in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Downing Earth and Foothills 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
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
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
Downing Earth vs Foothills Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Downing Earth on one side and Foothills 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.