Dovetail vs Inky Blue
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Dovetail reads as grey, while Inky Blue reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Dovetail (LRV 26) reflects noticeably more light than Inky Blue (LRV 15), a difference of 10 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Dovetail runs neutral while Inky Blue is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 24.5, 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.
Dovetail vs Inky Blue in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Dovetail and Inky 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 Dovetail will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Inky Blue would.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Dovetail reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Inky Blue.
Color Details
Dovetail vs Inky Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Dovetail 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.