Downing Straw vs Dusty Heather
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Downing Straw reads as beige, while Dusty Heather reads as blue-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Downing Straw (LRV 43) reflects noticeably more light than Dusty Heather (LRV 28), a difference of 15 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Downing Straw runs warm while Dusty Heather is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 40.7, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Downing Straw vs Dusty Heather in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Downing Straw and Dusty Heather in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
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. Downing Straw reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dusty Heather.
Color Details
Downing Straw vs Dusty Heather Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Downing Straw on one side and Dusty Heather 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 Straw comparisons
See how Downing Straw stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 43), opening up a space where Downing Straw encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 43, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 43 vs 6, Downing Straw is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 43), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Downing Straw reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
A 8-point LRV gap (52 vs 43) makes Mizzle the marginally brighter of the two.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 43), opening up a space where Downing Straw encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 43, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 43 vs 27, Downing Straw is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 43 and 43, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Downing Straw reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
A 12-point LRV gap (55 vs 43) makes Tranquil Dawn the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 43 vs 13, Downing Straw is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 44 vs 43), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 43), opening up a space where Downing Straw encloses it.
Downing Straw reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 43, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 43, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 43, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reads slightly lighter (LRV 51 vs 43), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 12, Downing Straw is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 43 vs 8, Downing Straw is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 43, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 43 and 41, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 43 vs 12, Downing Straw is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 45 vs 43), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Downing Straw reads slightly lighter (LRV 43 vs 31), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.