Aleutian vs Dockside Blue
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Both sit in the blue family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Dockside Blue (LRV 43) reflects noticeably more light than Aleutian (LRV 38), a difference of 5 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. The ΔE 4.5 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Aleutian vs Dockside Blue in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Aleutian and Dockside Blue are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
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 brightness difference is modest but present — Dockside Blue gives the walls a little more lift.
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. Dockside Blue reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The brightness difference is modest but present — Dockside Blue gives the walls a little more lift.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Dockside Blue reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Aleutian vs Dockside Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Aleutian on one side and Dockside Blue 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 Aleutian comparisons
See how Aleutian stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
