Underwater vs Tempe Star
Underwater is a Behr color while Tempe Star comes from Sherwin-Williams. Underwater reads as blue-grey, while Tempe Star reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. With LRVs of 11 and 11, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. The tonal difference — Underwater's blue character against Tempe Star's cool — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 4.7, the difference is perceptible but not dramatic — the two can work harmoniously in the same space. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Underwater vs Tempe Star in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Underwater and Tempe Star 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
Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Dining Room
Dining room light is typically the warmest in the house, which shifts both colors toward the red end of the spectrum compared to daylight. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Kitchen Cabinets
On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. 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.
Color Details
Underwater vs Tempe Star Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Underwater on one side and Tempe Star 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 Underwater comparisons
See how Underwater stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
