Blue Nile vs Cruising
Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. Both sit in the blue family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. At LRV 19 vs 13, Cruising will read as the brighter of the two — a 6-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. They share a cool quality — useful to know if you're layering them in the same space. At ΔE 8.5, the difference is perceptible but not dramatic — the two can work harmoniously in the same space. Below you'll find 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Blue Nile vs Cruising in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Blue Nile and Cruising 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
Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. Cruising has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The brightness difference is modest but present — Cruising gives the walls a little more lift.
Kitchen
Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The brightness difference is modest but present — Cruising gives the walls a little more lift.
Dining Room
Dining room light is typically the warmest in the house, which shifts both colors toward the red end of the spectrum compared to daylight. Cruising reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The brightness difference is modest but present — Cruising gives the walls a little more lift.
Home Office
In a home office, wall color sits in your peripheral vision for hours at a time, so temperature and undertone matter more than you might expect. The brightness difference is modest but present — Cruising gives the walls a little more lift.
Mudroom
A mudroom color needs to hold up under the most casual scrutiny: a glance as you're coming and going, often in mixed or artificial light. Cruising reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Patio
Patio colors are seen under changing outdoor light throughout the day — morning, midday, and golden hour each reveal different qualities. Cruising reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The brightness difference is modest but present — Cruising gives the walls a little more lift.
Front Door
Front doors are seen in isolation against the rest of the facade, which makes them a high-stakes surface where even subtle differences matter. Cruising has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Blue Nile vs Cruising Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Blue Nile on one side and Cruising 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 Blue Nile comparisons
See how Blue Nile stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 13), opening up a space where Blue Nile encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 13, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 13, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 13, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 13), opening up a space where Blue Nile encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 13), opening up a space where Blue Nile encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 13, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 13), opening up a space where Blue Nile encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 13), opening up a space where Blue Nile encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 13, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 13), opening up a space where Blue Nile encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 13), opening up a space where Blue Nile encloses it.
With LRVs of 13 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Blue Nile reads slightly lighter (LRV 13 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 13), opening up a space where Blue Nile encloses it.
With LRVs of 13 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 13), opening up a space where Blue Nile encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 13, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.