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.
At LRV 83 vs 49, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 49), opening up a space where Stillwater encloses it.
At LRV 49 vs 6, Stillwater is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 52 and 49, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Stillwater reflects far more light (LRV 49 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 52 vs 49), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Agreeable Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 49), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 9-point LRV gap (58 vs 49) makes Accessible Beige the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 49 vs 27, Stillwater is decisively the brighter choice.
Stillwater reads slightly lighter (LRV 49 vs 43), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Stillwater reflects far more light (LRV 49 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
A 6-point LRV gap (55 vs 49) makes Tranquil Dawn the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 49 vs 13, Stillwater is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (49 vs 44) makes Stillwater the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 49), opening up a space where Stillwater encloses it.
Stillwater reflects far more light (LRV 49 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 49, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 49, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 49, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 49 vs 12, Stillwater is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 49, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Stillwater reads slightly lighter (LRV 49 vs 41), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 49), opening up a space where Stillwater encloses it.
Stillwater reflects far more light (LRV 49 vs 25), opening up a space where Treron encloses it.
At LRV 49 vs 12, Stillwater is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (49 vs 45) makes Stillwater the marginally brighter of the two.
Stillwater reflects far more light (LRV 49 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Stillwater reflects far more light (LRV 49 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Stillwater reflects far more light (LRV 49 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Guilford Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 57 vs 49), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.