Honest Blue vs Icy
Honest Blue and Icy come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Both sit in the blue family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 55 vs 56 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. Both share a cool character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. ΔE 3.2 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Honest Blue vs Icy in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Honest Blue and Icy are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
Living Room
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Color Details
Honest Blue vs Icy Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Honest Blue on one side and Icy 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 Honest Blue comparisons
See how Honest Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 55, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 55), opening up a space where Honest Blue encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 6, Honest Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Honest Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Honest Blue reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
A 3-point LRV gap (55 vs 52) makes Honest Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
Agreeable Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 55), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 58 vs 55), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 55 vs 27, Honest Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Honest Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 43), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Honest Blue reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 55 vs 55), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 55 vs 13, Honest Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (55 vs 44) makes Honest Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 55), opening up a space where Honest Blue encloses it.
Honest Blue reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
A 11-point LRV gap (66 vs 55) makes Balboa Mist the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 74 vs 55, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 55, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 55 vs 12, Honest Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 55, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Honest Blue reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 55), opening up a space where Honest Blue encloses it.
Honest Blue reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 25), opening up a space where Treron encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 12, Honest Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (55 vs 45) makes Honest Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
Honest Blue reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Honest Blue reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Honest Blue reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
With LRVs of 57 and 55, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.