River Blue vs Rainstorm
River Blue (Benjamin Moore) and Rainstorm (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Both sit in the blue family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 7 vs 5 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. Where River Blue leans blue, Rainstorm reads cool — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. ΔE 3.1 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
River Blue vs Rainstorm in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. River Blue and Rainstorm 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.
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.
Color Details
River Blue vs Rainstorm Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see River Blue on one side and Rainstorm 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 River Blue comparisons
See how River Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
