Adrift vs Gardenia
Adrift and Gardenia come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Hue-wise, Adrift belongs to the blue family and Gardenia to the beige family. The 41-point LRV gap — 78 for Gardenia vs 37 for Adrift — means Gardenia will open up a space more effectively. Where Adrift leans cool, Gardenia reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 36.2 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.
Adrift vs Gardenia in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Adrift and Gardenia 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. Gardenia reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Adrift.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Gardenia returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Adrift vs Gardenia Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Adrift on one side and Gardenia 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 Adrift comparisons
See how Adrift stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 37, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 37), opening up a space where Adrift encloses it.
Adrift reads slightly lighter (LRV 37 vs 30), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 37), opening up a space where Adrift encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 37, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (37 vs 27) makes Adrift the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 43 vs 37), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 37, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (44 vs 37) makes Hardwick White the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 37), opening up a space where Adrift encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 37, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 37, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 37 vs 12, Adrift is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 37, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 37 vs 12, Adrift is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (45 vs 37) makes Saybrook Sage the marginally brighter of the two.
Adrift reads slightly lighter (LRV 37 vs 31), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Adrift reflects far more light (LRV 37 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Adrift reflects far more light (LRV 37 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 37), opening up a space where Adrift encloses it.