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.
