Icy vs Rarified Air
Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. Hue-wise, Icy belongs to the blue family and Rarified Air to the blue-white family. At LRV 78 vs 56, Rarified Air will read as the brighter of the two — a 22-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. They share a cool quality — useful to know if you're layering them in the same space. At ΔE 12.9, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Icy vs Rarified Air in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Icy and Rarified Air 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 amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The LRV gap is large enough that Rarified Air will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Icy would.
Color Details
Icy vs Rarified Air Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Icy on one side and Rarified Air 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.