Steam vs Reflection
Steam (Cloverdale Paint) and Reflection (Jotun) come from different manufacturers. Steam reads as greige-white, while Reflection reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 3-point LRV gap — 81 for Reflection vs 78 for Steam — means Reflection will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 2.0 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.
Steam vs Reflection in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Steam and Reflection 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. Reflection reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Reflection has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Steam vs Reflection Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Steam on one side and Reflection 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 Steam comparisons
See how Steam stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reads slightly lighter (LRV 83 vs 78), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 78 vs 52, Steam is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 78 vs 30, Steam is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 78 vs 60, Steam is decisively the brighter choice.
Steam reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 58), opening up a space where Accessible Beige encloses it.
Steam reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 78 vs 43, Steam is decisively the brighter choice.
Steam reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 55), opening up a space where Tranquil Dawn encloses it.
Steam reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
A 6-point LRV gap (84 vs 78) makes Pure White the marginally brighter of the two.
Steam reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 66), opening up a space where Balboa Mist encloses it.
Steam reads slightly lighter (LRV 78 vs 74), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Steam reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Steam reads slightly lighter (LRV 78 vs 68), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Steam reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Steam reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 78 vs 31, Steam is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 78 vs 7, Steam is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 78 vs 24, Steam is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 78 vs 57, Steam is decisively the brighter choice.