After the Storm vs Cold Foam paint color comparison

After the Storm vs Cold Foam

After the Storm and Cold Foam come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Hue-wise, After the Storm belongs to the blue-grey family and Cold Foam to the beige-greige family. The 81-point LRV gap — 84 for Cold Foam vs 3 for After the Storm — means Cold Foam will open up a space more effectively. Where After the Storm leans cool, Cold Foam reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 74.5 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.

After the Storm vs Cold Foam in Real Spaces

2 real rooms side by side. Seeing After the Storm and Cold Foam 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. Cold Foam reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than After the Storm.

After the StormSW After the Storm dining room interior

@michele.elizabeth.designs

Cold FoamA mid century living room painted in Cold Foam

@mybudgetrecipes

Front Door

On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. Cold Foam reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than After the Storm.

After the StormSW After the Storm front door color

@ginageorgedesigns

Cold Foamminimalist front door featuring Cold Foam by Sherwin-Williams

@mybudgetrecipes

Color Details

After the Storm
Sherwin-Williams · 9685
LRV2.9
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number9685
Undertone—
TemperatureCool
BrightnessDark
Cold Foam
Sherwin-Williams · 9504
LRV84.0
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number9504
Undertone—
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessLight

After the Storm vs Cold Foam Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see After the Storm on one side and Cold Foam 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 After the Storm comparisons

See how After the Storm stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

After the Storm
After the Storm
Agreeable Gray
Agreeable Gray
After the Storm vs Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
After the Storm
9685 · LRV 3

Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 3), opening up a space where After the Storm encloses it.

After the Storm
After the Storm
Naval
Naval
After the Storm vs Naval
Sherwin-Williams
After the Storm
9685 · LRV 3
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

With LRVs of 4 and 3, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

After the Storm
After the Storm
Shoji White
Shoji White
After the Storm vs Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams
After the Storm
9685 · LRV 3

At LRV 74 vs 3, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.

After the Storm
After the Storm
Snowbound
Snowbound
After the Storm vs Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
After the Storm
9685 · LRV 3
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

At LRV 83 vs 3, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.