Azure Tide vs Inky Blue
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. Inky Blue (LRV 15) reflects noticeably more light than Azure Tide (LRV 12), a difference of 3 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 8.7 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Azure Tide vs Inky Blue in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Azure Tide and Inky 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 — Inky Blue gives the walls a little more lift.
Color Details
Azure Tide vs Inky Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Azure Tide on one side and Inky 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 Azure Tide comparisons
See how Azure Tide stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 12), opening up a space where Azure Tide encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 12, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (12 vs 6) makes Azure Tide the marginally brighter of the two.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 12), opening up a space where Azure Tide encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 12), opening up a space where Azure Tide encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 12, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 12), opening up a space where Azure Tide encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 12, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 12, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 12), opening up a space where Azure Tide encloses it.
Azure Tide reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 4), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 12, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 13 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 44 vs 12, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 12), opening up a space where Azure Tide encloses it.
Artichoke reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 12, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 12, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 12, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 12), opening up a space where Azure Tide encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 4-point LRV gap (12 vs 8) makes Azure Tide the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 12, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 12), opening up a space where Azure Tide encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 45 vs 12, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 12), opening up a space where Azure Tide encloses it.