Soft Blue vs Artichoke
Soft Blue (Cloverdale Paint) and Artichoke (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Soft Blue belongs to the blue family and Artichoke to the grey family. The 38-point LRV gap — 59 for Soft Blue vs 21 for Artichoke — means Soft Blue will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 37.6 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Soft Blue vs Artichoke in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Soft Blue and Artichoke 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
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. Soft Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Artichoke.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Soft Blue returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Soft Blue returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Soft Blue vs Artichoke Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Soft Blue on one side and Artichoke 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 Soft Blue comparisons
See how Soft Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 59, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Soft Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 59 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Soft Blue reflects far more light (LRV 59 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
With LRVs of 60 and 59, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 59 vs 58), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 59 vs 27, Soft Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Soft Blue reflects far more light (LRV 59 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
A 4-point LRV gap (59 vs 55) makes Soft Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 59 vs 44, Soft Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 59), opening up a space where Soft Blue encloses it.
A 7-point LRV gap (66 vs 59) makes Balboa Mist the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 74 vs 59, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 59 vs 12, Soft Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (68 vs 59) makes Skimming Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 59 vs 12, Soft Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 59 vs 45, Soft Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Soft Blue reflects far more light (LRV 59 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Soft Blue reflects far more light (LRV 59 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Soft Blue reflects far more light (LRV 59 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
With LRVs of 59 and 57, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 59), opening up a space where Soft Blue encloses it.