Downing Slate vs Passageway
Downing Slate (Sherwin-Williams) and Passageway (Valspar) come from different manufacturers. These are both blue-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue-grey to land. The 7-point LRV gap — 21 for Downing Slate vs 14 for Passageway — means Downing Slate will open up a space more effectively. ΔE 9.5 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Downing Slate vs Passageway in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Downing Slate and Passageway 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
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Downing Slate reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Downing Slate has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
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. Downing Slate has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Downing Slate vs Passageway Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Downing Slate on one side and Passageway 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.
At LRV 83 vs 21, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 21), opening up a space where Downing Slate encloses it.
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.
A 9-point LRV gap (21 vs 12) makes Downing Slate the marginally brighter of the two.
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.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 21), opening up a space where Downing Slate encloses it.
Treron reads slightly lighter (LRV 25 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
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.
Downing Slate reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Cement grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 24 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 21), opening up a space where Downing Slate encloses it.