Faded Flaxflower vs Interesting Aqua paint color comparison

Faded Flaxflower vs Interesting Aqua

Faded Flaxflower and Interesting Aqua come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Faded Flaxflower reads as blue, while Interesting Aqua reads as blue-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 3-point LRV gap — 44 for Faded Flaxflower vs 41 for Interesting Aqua — means Faded Flaxflower will open up a space more effectively. Both share a cool character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. ΔE 5.3 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Faded Flaxflower vs Interesting Aqua in Real Spaces

5 real rooms side by side. Faded Flaxflower and Interesting Aqua 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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.

Faded FlaxflowerFaded Flaxflower — elegant living room

@mybudgetrecipes

Interesting AquaSw Interesting Aqua Living Room

@penderandpeony

Dining Room

Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. 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.

Faded FlaxflowerA moody dining room painted in Faded Flaxflower

@mybudgetrecipes

Interesting AquaSherwin Williams Interesting Aqua Dining Room

@so.southern.studio

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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.

Faded FlaxflowerSherwin Williams Faded Flaxflower Bathroom Vanity

@diy_afterdark

Interesting AquaSw Interesting Aqua Bathroom

@thatbitchaleea

House

A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.

Faded FlaxflowerSherwin-Williams Faded Flaxflower in a traditional house

@mybudgetrecipes

Interesting AquaSherwin Williams Interesting Aqua Exterior

@nineddesign

Kitchen Cabinets

Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.

Faded FlaxflowerSw 9146 Kitchen Cabinets

@ourlittlemagnoliahome

Interesting AquaInteresting Aqua Painted Cabinets

@masterstouchdesignbuild

Color Details

Faded Flaxflower
Sherwin-Williams · 9146
LRV43.6
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number9146
Undertone
TemperatureCool
BrightnessMedium
Interesting Aqua
Sherwin-Williams · 6220
LRV40.8
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number6220
Undertone
TemperatureCool
BrightnessMedium

Faded Flaxflower vs Interesting Aqua Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Faded Flaxflower on one side and Interesting Aqua 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.

More Faded Flaxflower comparisons

See how Faded Flaxflower stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

Ammonite
Faded Flaxflower
Ammonite
Faded Flaxflower
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69
Sherwin-Williams
Faded Flaxflower
9146 · LRV 44

At LRV 69 vs 44, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.

White Dove
Faded Flaxflower
White Dove
Faded Flaxflower
Sherwin-Williams
Faded Flaxflower
9146 · LRV 44

White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 44), opening up a space where Faded Flaxflower encloses it.

Faded Flaxflower
Iron Ore
Faded Flaxflower
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Faded Flaxflower
9146 · LRV 44

Faded Flaxflower reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.

Purbeck Stone
Faded Flaxflower
Purbeck Stone
Faded Flaxflower
Sherwin-Williams
Faded Flaxflower
9146 · LRV 44

A 8-point LRV gap (52 vs 44) makes Purbeck Stone the marginally brighter of the two.

Evergreen Fog
Faded Flaxflower
Evergreen Fog
Faded Flaxflower
Sherwin-Williams
Faded Flaxflower
9146 · LRV 44

At LRV 44 vs 30, Faded Flaxflower is decisively the brighter choice.

Mizzle
Faded Flaxflower
Mizzle
Faded Flaxflower
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52
Sherwin-Williams
Faded Flaxflower
9146 · LRV 44

Mizzle reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 44), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Agreeable Gray
Faded Flaxflower
Agreeable Gray
Faded Flaxflower
Sherwin-Williams
Faded Flaxflower
9146 · LRV 44

At LRV 60 vs 44, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Accessible Beige
Faded Flaxflower
Accessible Beige
Faded Flaxflower
Sherwin-Williams
Faded Flaxflower
9146 · LRV 44

Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 44), opening up a space where Faded Flaxflower encloses it.

Denim Drift
Faded Flaxflower
Denim Drift
Faded Flaxflower
Sherwin-Williams
Faded Flaxflower
9146 · LRV 44

Faded Flaxflower reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.

French Gray
Faded Flaxflower
French Gray
Faded Flaxflower
Sherwin-Williams
Faded Flaxflower
9146 · LRV 44

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 44 vs 43), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Faded Flaxflower
Naval
Faded Flaxflower
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Faded Flaxflower
9146 · LRV 44
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

At LRV 44 vs 4, Faded Flaxflower is decisively the brighter choice.

Tranquil Dawn
Faded Flaxflower
Tranquil Dawn
Faded Flaxflower
Sherwin-Williams
Faded Flaxflower
9146 · LRV 44

Tranquil Dawn reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 44), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Bancha
Faded Flaxflower
Bancha
Faded Flaxflower
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13
Sherwin-Williams
Faded Flaxflower
9146 · LRV 44

Faded Flaxflower reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.

Hardwick White
Faded Flaxflower
Hardwick White
Faded Flaxflower
Sherwin-Williams
Faded Flaxflower
9146 · LRV 44

With LRVs of 44 and 44, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

Faded Flaxflower
Pure White
Faded Flaxflower
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams
Faded Flaxflower
9146 · LRV 44

At LRV 84 vs 44, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.

Artichoke
Faded Flaxflower
Artichoke
Faded Flaxflower
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21
Sherwin-Williams
Faded Flaxflower
9146 · LRV 44

At LRV 44 vs 21, Faded Flaxflower is decisively the brighter choice.

Balboa Mist
Faded Flaxflower
Balboa Mist
Faded Flaxflower
Sherwin-Williams
Faded Flaxflower
9146 · LRV 44

Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 44), opening up a space where Faded Flaxflower encloses it.

Faded Flaxflower
Shoji White
Faded Flaxflower
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams
Faded Flaxflower
9146 · LRV 44

Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 44), opening up a space where Faded Flaxflower encloses it.

Faded Flaxflower
Snowbound
Faded Flaxflower
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Faded Flaxflower
9146 · LRV 44
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 44), opening up a space where Faded Flaxflower encloses it.

Pigeon
Faded Flaxflower
Pigeon
Faded Flaxflower
Farrow & Ball
Pigeon
LRV 51
Sherwin-Williams
Faded Flaxflower
9146 · LRV 44

A 7-point LRV gap (51 vs 44) makes Pigeon the marginally brighter of the two.

Faded Flaxflower
Pewter Green
Faded Flaxflower
Pewter Green
Sherwin-Williams
Faded Flaxflower
9146 · LRV 44

Faded Flaxflower reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.

Duck Green
Faded Flaxflower
Duck Green
Faded Flaxflower
Sherwin-Williams
Faded Flaxflower
9146 · LRV 44

Faded Flaxflower reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.

Skimming Stone
Faded Flaxflower
Skimming Stone
Faded Flaxflower
Sherwin-Williams
Faded Flaxflower
9146 · LRV 44

Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 44), opening up a space where Faded Flaxflower encloses it.

Dix Blue
Faded Flaxflower
Dix Blue
Faded Flaxflower
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41
Sherwin-Williams
Faded Flaxflower
9146 · LRV 44

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 44 vs 41), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Hicks' Blue
Faded Flaxflower
Hicks' Blue
Faded Flaxflower

Hicks' Blue vs Faded Flaxflower

Slaked Lime Deep
Faded Flaxflower
Slaked Lime Deep
Faded Flaxflower

Slaked Lime Deep vs Faded Flaxflower

Vintage Vogue
Faded Flaxflower
Vintage Vogue
Faded Flaxflower
Sherwin-Williams
Faded Flaxflower
9146 · LRV 44

Faded Flaxflower reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.

Livid
Faded Flaxflower
Livid
Faded Flaxflower
Sherwin-Williams
Faded Flaxflower
9146 · LRV 44

Livid vs Faded Flaxflower

Saybrook Sage
Faded Flaxflower
Saybrook Sage
Faded Flaxflower
Sherwin-Williams
Faded Flaxflower
9146 · LRV 44

With LRVs of 45 and 44, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

Pale Green
Faded Flaxflower
Pale Green
Faded Flaxflower
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31
Sherwin-Williams
Faded Flaxflower
9146 · LRV 44

At LRV 44 vs 31, Faded Flaxflower is decisively the brighter choice.