Agua Fría vs Reflecting Pool
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. These are both blues, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue to land. Agua Fría (LRV 52) reflects noticeably more light than Reflecting Pool (LRV 39), a difference of 13 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean cool, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. With a ΔE of 10.6, 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 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Agua Fría vs Reflecting Pool in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Agua Fría and Reflecting Pool 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 Agua Fría will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Reflecting Pool would.
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. Agua Fría reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Reflecting Pool.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Agua Fría will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Reflecting Pool would.
Color Details
Agua Fría vs Reflecting Pool Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Agua Fría on one side and Reflecting Pool 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.