Stiffkey Blue → Sherwin Williams
The closest Sherwin Williams matches for Farrow & Ball Stiffkey Blue (No.281), ranked by perceptual color distance.
Finding a Sherwin Williams Equivalent for Stiffkey Blue
If you love Farrow & Ball Stiffkey Blue but need a Sherwin Williams alternative, you are not alone. This is one of the most common cross-brand paint matching searches, whether you are working with a painter who prefers Sherwin Williams, your local store does not carry Farrow & Ball, or you simply want to compare prices across brands before committing.
Stiffkey Blue (No.281) is a dark navy with blue-gray undertones. A deep, complex navy blue named after the Norfolk village. More gray and muted than Hague Blue, with a calm, scholarly quality. To find a good Sherwin Williams match, we need a color that captures not just the right depth (LRV 7) but also that specific undertone character. That is where Delta E color science comes in.
We calculated the perceptual color distance between Stiffkey Blue and every Sherwin Williams color using the CIE2000 Delta E formula, which measures how different two colors look to the human eye. A Delta E under 2 means most people cannot tell the colors apart. Between 2 and 4, you might notice a difference in certain lighting. Above 5, the difference is clearly visible side by side.
The results are decent but not perfect. The closest Sherwin Williams option is Naval (SW 6244) with a Delta E of 5.4, which is a "good match" level match. Naval is brighter and more saturated. Stiffkey Blue is more muted and gray. You will want to test a sample before committing, as the difference may be noticeable in certain lighting.
Sherwin Williams Matches for Stiffkey Blue
Naval is brighter and more saturated. Stiffkey Blue is more muted and gray.
| Stiffkey Blue | Naval | |
|---|---|---|
| LRV | 7 | 4 |
| Hex | #374352 | #344150 |
| Undertone | Blue-Gray | True Blue |
| Family | Navy | Navy |
Undertone Comparison
Stiffkey Blue has blue-gray undertones. A deep, complex navy blue named after the Norfolk village. More gray and muted than Hague Blue, with a calm, scholarly quality.
Naval has true blue undertones. A deep, saturated navy blue. Bolder and more distinctly blue than many navies, with less gray to soften it.
The undertone difference is worth paying attention to. While they are close in overall appearance, the different undertones mean they may diverge in certain lighting. Stiffkey Blue's blue-gray quality may read differently than Naval's true blue character, especially in rooms with strong directional light or colored accents that could pull out one undertone more than the other. Test a sample in your specific room before committing.
How These Colors Behave in Different Lighting
Stiffkey Blue in Your Room
In bright light, it reads as a deep blue-gray. In dim rooms, it approaches a sophisticated near-black with blue depth. More restrained than Hague Blue.
Naval in Your Room
Reads as a rich, inky navy in all conditions. In direct sunlight you'll see the blue depth. In dim rooms, it approaches black. Dramatic and confident.
LRV and Brightness
Stiffkey Blue has an LRV of 7, while Naval has an LRV of 4. These two colors reflect a very similar amount of light, so you should not notice a significant difference in room brightness when switching between them. The room will feel approximately the same in terms of light and space, which makes this a smoother transition.
Best Rooms for Stiffkey Blue
Farrow & Ball recommends Stiffkey Blue for: accent wall, office, bedroom, powder room, front door. With an LRV of 7, this is a dark color that absorbs more light than it reflects. It makes a bold statement and works beautifully on accent walls, front doors, exterior trim, and features where drama is the goal. In a full room, make sure you have good lighting and bright white trim for contrast.
Naval is recommended for: accent wall, front door, powder room, office, bedroom. Both colors are recommended for similar applications, which confirms that this is a practical cross-brand match. You can use Naval in the same rooms you planned for Stiffkey Blue.
Stiffkey Blue in Other Brands
Looking for Stiffkey Blue equivalents in other brands besides Sherwin Williams? We have matches across all major paint brands.
Frequently Asked Questions
The closest Sherwin Williams match for Stiffkey Blue (No.281) is Naval (SW 6244) with a Delta E of 5.4, which rates as a "good match" match. Naval is brighter and more saturated. Stiffkey Blue is more muted and gray. Delta E measures perceptual color distance on a scale where under 2 means nearly identical, 2 to 4 means close with subtle differences, and over 5 means clearly noticeable.
No, they are not identical. Stiffkey Blue is a Farrow & Ball color with blue-gray undertones and an LRV of 7. Naval is a Sherwin Williams color with true blue undertones and an LRV of 4. With a Delta E of 5.4, you will likely notice a difference, especially in bright or direct lighting. Paint formulations differ between brands, so even colors with similar values can look slightly different due to pigment concentration, binders, and finish.
With a Delta E of 5.4, the difference is enough that they should not be used on adjacent walls in the same room. You can use them in separate rooms of the same house, but be aware that walking from one room to the other may reveal the difference, especially if the rooms have similar lighting. For the most consistent look, pick one brand for all connected living spaces and reserve the other brand for visually separate rooms like bathrooms or bedrooms behind closed doors.
There are several practical reasons to look for a Sherwin Williams equivalent. Price differences between brands can be significant on large projects. Availability matters if your nearest paint store or home center specializes in Sherwin Williams. Some painters have strong preferences for one brand's formula based on coverage, dry time, or workability. And if you are touching up existing Sherwin Williams work, matching within the same brand gives you the best consistency for seamless results.
Match calculations use Delta E (CIE2000) computed from Lab color space conversion. Color data sourced from manufacturer specifications. Last reviewed: March 22, 2026.