Old White vs Stiffkey Blue
Both from Farrow & Ball's palette. Old White reads as beige-greige, while Stiffkey Blue reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Old White (LRV 55) reflects noticeably more light than Stiffkey Blue (LRV 10), a difference of 45 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Old White runs warm while Stiffkey Blue is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 47.2, 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 8 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Old White vs Stiffkey Blue in Real Spaces
8 real rooms side by side. Seeing Old White and Stiffkey Blue 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
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The LRV gap is large enough that Old White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Stiffkey Blue would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Old White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Stiffkey Blue.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Old White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Stiffkey Blue.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Old White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Stiffkey Blue.
Home Office
The test for a home office color isn't how it looks in a quick glance — it's whether it still feels right after a full day of work. Old White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Stiffkey Blue.
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. Old White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Stiffkey Blue.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Old White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Stiffkey Blue would.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Old White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Stiffkey Blue.
Color Details
Old White vs Stiffkey Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Old White on one side and Stiffkey 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 Old White comparisons
See how Old White stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 55), opening up a space where Old White encloses it.
A 3-point LRV gap (55 vs 52) makes Old White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 55 vs 30, Old White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (60 vs 55) makes Agreeable Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
With LRVs of 58 and 55, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Old White reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
A 12-point LRV gap (55 vs 43) makes Old White the marginally brighter of the two.
With LRVs of 55 and 55, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Old White reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 44), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 55, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter (LRV 66 vs 55), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 55), opening up a space where Old White encloses it.
Old White reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Old White reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 55), opening up a space where Old White encloses it.
Old White reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Old White reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 31, Old White is decisively the brighter choice.