Downing Slate vs Moth Wing paint color comparison

Downing Slate vs Moth Wing

Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. Hue-wise, Downing Slate belongs to the blue-grey family and Moth Wing to the greige-grey family. At LRV 29 vs 21, Moth Wing will read as the brighter of the two — a 8-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. The tonal difference — Downing Slate's neutral character against Moth Wing's warm — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 18.5, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Downing Slate vs Moth Wing in Real Spaces

6 real rooms side by side. Seeing Downing Slate and Moth Wing 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. Moth Wing returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Downing SlateDowning Slate Review

@trianglepropainting

Moth WingMoth Wing 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 Moth Wing will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Downing Slate would.

Downing SlateSherwin Williams Downing Slate Bedroom

@daaaaaamn_danielle

Moth WingMoth Wing Bedroom

@mybudgetrecipes

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 Moth Wing will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Downing Slate would.

Downing SlateDowning Slate Bathroom

@cm_customhomes

Moth WingMoth Wing Bathroom

@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 Moth Wing will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Downing Slate would.

Downing SlateSherwin Williams Downing Slate Exterior

@kandor_painting

Moth WingMoth Wing House

@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. Moth Wing returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Downing SlateDowning Slate Door

@john_ohfs

Moth WingMoth Wing Front Door

@mybudgetrecipes

Kitchen Cabinets

On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. The LRV gap is large enough that Moth Wing will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Downing Slate would.

Downing SlateSw Downing Slate Painted Storage

@thecraftsmanfarmhouse

Moth WingSherwin Williams Moth Wing kitchen cabinets color

@annalattimoredesign

Color Details

Downing Slate
Sherwin-Williams · 2819
LRV20.8
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number2819
Undertone—
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessMedium
Moth Wing
Sherwin-Williams · 9174
LRV29.1
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number9174
Undertone—
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessMedium

Downing Slate vs Moth Wing Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Downing Slate on one side and Moth Wing 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.