Festoon Aqua vs Tidewater
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Both sit in the blue family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Tidewater (LRV 65) reflects noticeably more light than Festoon Aqua (LRV 46), a difference of 19 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean cool, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. With a ΔE of 10.9, 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 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Festoon Aqua vs Tidewater in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Festoon Aqua and Tidewater 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 Tidewater will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Festoon Aqua would.
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 Tidewater will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Festoon Aqua would.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Tidewater reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Festoon Aqua.
Color Details
Festoon Aqua vs Tidewater Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Festoon Aqua on one side and Tidewater 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 Festoon Aqua comparisons
See how Festoon Aqua stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
