Freshwater vs Studio Mauve
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Freshwater belongs to the blue family and Studio Mauve to the grey family. Studio Mauve (LRV 50) reflects noticeably more light than Freshwater (LRV 32), a difference of 18 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Freshwater runs cool while Studio Mauve is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 34.4, 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.
Freshwater vs Studio Mauve in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Freshwater and Studio Mauve 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 Studio Mauve will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Freshwater 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. Studio Mauve reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Freshwater.
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. Studio Mauve reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Freshwater.
Color Details
Freshwater vs Studio Mauve Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Freshwater on one side and Studio Mauve 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.