Serene Blue vs Shoji White

Serene BlueJotunvsShoji WhiteSherwin-WilliamsΔE 36.0Very different colors

Where Serene Blue belongs to Jotun's range, Shoji White is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Serene Blue belongs to the blue-grey family and Shoji White to the beige-greige family. Shoji White (LRV 74) reflects noticeably more light than Serene Blue (LRV 22), a difference of 52 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Serene Blue runs neutral while Shoji White is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 36.0, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Serene Blue vs Shoji White in Real Spaces

5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Serene Blue and Shoji White 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

In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The LRV gap is large enough that Shoji White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Serene Blue would.

Serene BlueJotun 5490 living room paint review

@rutheart

Shoji WhiteShoji White SW 7042 living room

@mybudgetrecipes

Bedroom

The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Shoji White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Serene Blue.

Serene BlueJotun Serene Blue bedroom color

@angelicas.hem

Shoji WhiteBedroom painted in Sherwin-Williams Shoji White

@mybudgetrecipes

Kitchen

In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Shoji White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Serene Blue.

Serene BlueJotun Serene Blue kitchen color review

@ournestbuilding

Shoji WhiteSherwin Williams Shoji White kitchen cabinets

@mybudgetrecipes

Dining Room

A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. Shoji White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Serene BlueJotun Serene Blue dining room interior

@jotunlady

Shoji WhiteSW Shoji White modern dining room

@the.redwood.house

Bathroom

Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Shoji White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Serene Blue.

Serene BlueJotun Serene Blue bathroom picture

@villawiig

Shoji WhiteWhite bathroom in Shoji White by Sherwin Williams

@mybudgetrecipes

Color Details

Serene Blue
Jotun · 5490
Hex#798484
LRV22.0
BrandJotun
Number5490
Undertone
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessDark
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams · 7042
Hex#E6DFD3
LRV74.3
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number7042
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessLight

Serene Blue vs Shoji White Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Serene Blue on one side and Shoji White on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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 Serene Blue comparisons

See how Serene Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
Serene Blue
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Serene Blue
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
Serene Blue
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Serene Blue reads noticeably lighter

Purbeck Stone
Serene Blue
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone is the lighter choice

Evergreen Fog
Serene Blue
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Evergreen Fog reads slightly lighter

Mizzle
Serene Blue
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle is the lighter choice

Agreeable Gray
Serene Blue
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray is the lighter choice

Accessible Beige
Serene Blue
Accessible Beige
Sherwin-Williams
Accessible Beige
LRV 58

Accessible Beige is the lighter choice

Denim Drift
Serene Blue
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Denim Drift reads slightly lighter

French Gray
Serene Blue
French Gray
Farrow & Ball
French Gray
LRV 43

French Gray reads noticeably lighter

Naval
Serene Blue
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

Serene Blue reads noticeably lighter

Tranquil Dawn
Serene Blue
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn is the lighter choice

Bancha
Serene Blue
Bancha
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

Serene Blue reads slightly lighter

Hardwick White
Serene Blue
Hardwick White
Farrow & Ball
Hardwick White
LRV 44

Hardwick White reads noticeably lighter

Pure White
Serene Blue
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams
Pure White
LRV 84

Pure White is the lighter choice

Artichoke
Serene Blue
Artichoke
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

Nearly identical in tone

Balboa Mist
Serene Blue
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Snowbound
Serene Blue
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound is the lighter choice

Pewter Green
Serene Blue
Pewter Green
Sherwin-Williams
Pewter Green
LRV 12

Serene Blue reads slightly lighter

Skimming Stone
Serene Blue
Skimming Stone
Farrow & Ball
Skimming Stone
LRV 68

Skimming Stone is the lighter choice

Dix Blue
Serene Blue
Dix Blue
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

Dix Blue reads noticeably lighter

Calamine
Serene Blue
Calamine
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68

Calamine is the lighter choice

Treron
Serene Blue
Treron
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25

Nearly identical in tone

Vintage Vogue
Serene Blue
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Serene Blue reads slightly lighter

Saybrook Sage
Serene Blue
Saybrook Sage
Benjamin Moore
Saybrook Sage
LRV 45

Saybrook Sage reads noticeably lighter

Pale Green
Serene Blue
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Pale Green reads slightly lighter

Pine Needle
Serene Blue
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Serene Blue reads noticeably lighter

Cement grey
Serene Blue
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Nearly identical in tone

Guilford Green
Serene Blue
Guilford Green
Benjamin Moore
Guilford Green
LRV 57

Guilford Green is the lighter choice

Just Walnut
Serene Blue
Just Walnut
Dulux
Just Walnut
LRV 72

Just Walnut is the lighter choice