Folkstone vs Riverway
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Folkstone belongs to the grey family and Riverway to the blue-grey family. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (13 vs 16), so they'll read as similarly Dark in most lighting conditions. Folkstone runs neutral while Riverway is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 12.2, 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.
Folkstone vs Riverway in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Folkstone and Riverway in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
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. Riverway brings more warmth to the space, while Folkstone keeps things cooler and crisper.
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. Riverway brings more warmth to the space, while Folkstone keeps things cooler and crisper.
Color Details
Folkstone vs Riverway Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Folkstone on one side and Riverway 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 Folkstone comparisons
See how Folkstone 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 Folkstone 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 Folkstone encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 13), opening up a space where Folkstone 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 Folkstone encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 13), opening up a space where Folkstone 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 Folkstone encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 13), opening up a space where Folkstone encloses it.
With LRVs of 13 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 13), opening up a space where Folkstone 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 Folkstone encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 13, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (13 vs 7) makes Folkstone the marginally brighter of the two.
A 11-point LRV gap (24 vs 13) makes Cement grey the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 57 vs 13, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.