Before the Storm vs Dustblu
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Before the Storm belongs to the grey family and Dustblu to the blue-grey family. Dustblu (LRV 32) reflects noticeably more light than Before the Storm (LRV 18), a difference of 14 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean neutral, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. With a ΔE of 13.9, 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.
Before the Storm vs Dustblu in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Before the Storm and Dustblu 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 Dustblu will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Before the Storm 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. Dustblu reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Before the Storm.
Color Details
Before the Storm vs Dustblu Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Before the Storm on one side and Dustblu 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.