Stillwater vs Dover Surf
Stillwater (Cloverdale Paint) and Dover Surf (Valspar) come from different manufacturers. These are both blues, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue to land. The 4-point LRV gap — 53 for Dover Surf vs 49 for Stillwater — means Dover Surf will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 10.2 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Stillwater vs Dover Surf in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Stillwater and Dover Surf 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. Dover Surf reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Dover Surf has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Stillwater vs Dover Surf Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Stillwater 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 Stillwater comparisons
See how Stillwater stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
