Buoyant Blue vs Passageway
Buoyant Blue (Sherwin-Williams) and Passageway (Valspar) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Buoyant Blue belongs to the blue-green family and Passageway to the blue-grey family. The 66-point LRV gap — 80 for Buoyant Blue vs 14 for Passageway — means Buoyant Blue will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 48.0 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Buoyant Blue vs Passageway in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Buoyant Blue and Passageway 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
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Buoyant Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Passageway.
Color Details
Buoyant Blue vs Passageway Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Buoyant Blue on one side and Passageway 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 Buoyant Blue comparisons
See how Buoyant Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
