Star Mist vs Dover Surf
Star Mist (Cloverdale Paint) and Dover Surf (Valspar) 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 — 55 vs 53 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. A ΔE of 2.9 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Star Mist vs Dover Surf in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Star Mist and Dover Surf 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. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
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. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Color Details
Star Mist vs Dover Surf Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Star Mist on one side and Dover Surf 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 Star Mist comparisons
See how Star Mist 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 Star Mist encloses it.
A 3-point LRV gap (55 vs 52) makes Star Mist the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 55 vs 30, Star Mist 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.
Star Mist 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 Star Mist the marginally brighter of the two.
With LRVs of 55 and 55, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Star Mist 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 Star Mist encloses it.
Star Mist reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 55), opening up a space where Star Mist encloses it.
Star Mist reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Star Mist reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 31, Star Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 55 vs 7, Star Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 55 vs 24, Star Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 57 vs 55), so neither reads brighter in a room.