Downing Slate vs Soulful Blue
Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. Both sit in the blue-grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. With LRVs of 21 and 20, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. The tonal difference — Downing Slate's neutral character against Soulful Blue's cool — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 8.2, the difference is perceptible but not dramatic — the two can work harmoniously in the same space. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Downing Slate vs Soulful Blue in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Downing Slate and Soulful Blue 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.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The temperature contrast between Soulful Blue and Downing Slate is what sets these apart most in this context.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The temperature contrast between Soulful Blue and Downing Slate is what sets these apart most in this context.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The temperature contrast between Soulful Blue and Downing Slate is what sets these apart most in this context.
Color Details
Downing Slate vs Soulful Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Downing Slate on one side and Soulful Blue 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 Downing Slate comparisons
See how Downing Slate stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 21), opening up a space where Downing Slate encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 21, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 21 vs 6, Downing Slate is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 21), opening up a space where Downing Slate encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reads slightly lighter (LRV 30 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 21, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 21), opening up a space where Downing Slate encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 21, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (27 vs 21) makes Denim Drift the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 21), opening up a space where Downing Slate encloses it.
Downing Slate reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 21, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (21 vs 13) makes Downing Slate the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 44 vs 21, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 21), opening up a space where Downing Slate encloses it.
With LRVs of 21 and 21, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 66 vs 21, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 21, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 21, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 21), opening up a space where Downing Slate encloses it.
A 9-point LRV gap (21 vs 12) makes Downing Slate the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 21 vs 8, Downing Slate is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 21, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 21), opening up a space where Downing Slate encloses it.
A 9-point LRV gap (21 vs 12) makes Downing Slate the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 21, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.