Aqua-Sphere vs Refuge
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Aqua-Sphere belongs to the blue-grey family and Refuge to the blue family. Aqua-Sphere (LRV 41) reflects noticeably more light than Refuge (LRV 19), a difference of 22 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 20.4, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Aqua-Sphere vs Refuge in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Aqua-Sphere and Refuge 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 Aqua-Sphere will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Refuge 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. Aqua-Sphere reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Refuge.
Color Details
Aqua-Sphere vs Refuge Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Aqua-Sphere on one side and Refuge 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 Aqua-Sphere comparisons
See how Aqua-Sphere stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
