Coral Reef vs Faraway Blue
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Coral Reef reads as pink-red, while Faraway Blue reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Faraway Blue (LRV 84) reflects noticeably more light than Coral Reef (LRV 29), a difference of 55 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Coral Reef runs warm while Faraway Blue is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 57.3, 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 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Coral Reef vs Faraway Blue in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Coral Reef and Faraway Blue 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 Faraway Blue will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Coral Reef would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Faraway Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Coral Reef.
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. Faraway Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Coral Reef.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Faraway Blue will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Coral Reef would.
Color Details
Coral Reef vs Faraway Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Coral Reef on one side and Faraway 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.