Imagine vs Riverway
Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. Hue-wise, Imagine belongs to the grey family and Riverway to the blue-grey family. At LRV 48 vs 16, Imagine will read as the brighter of the two — a 33-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. The tonal difference — Imagine's warm character against Riverway's cool — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 31.2, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 8 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Imagine vs Riverway in Real Spaces
8 real rooms side by side. Seeing Imagine 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.
Living Room
Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. Imagine returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Imagine will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Riverway would.
Kitchen
Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The LRV gap is large enough that Imagine will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Riverway would.
Dining Room
Dining room light is typically the warmest in the house, which shifts both colors toward the red end of the spectrum compared to daylight. Imagine reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Riverway.
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 Imagine will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Riverway would.
Home Office
In a home office, wall color sits in your peripheral vision for hours at a time, so temperature and undertone matter more than you might expect. The LRV gap is large enough that Imagine will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Riverway would.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Imagine will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Riverway would.
Front Door
Front doors are seen in isolation against the rest of the facade, which makes them a high-stakes surface where even subtle differences matter. Imagine returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Imagine vs Riverway Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Imagine 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 Imagine comparisons
See how Imagine stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 48, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 48), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Imagine reflects far more light (LRV 48 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 48), opening up a space where Imagine encloses it.
A 9-point LRV gap (58 vs 48) makes Accessible Beige the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 48 vs 27, Imagine is decisively the brighter choice.
Imagine reads slightly lighter (LRV 48 vs 43), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 7-point LRV gap (55 vs 48) makes Tranquil Dawn the marginally brighter of the two.
A 5-point LRV gap (48 vs 44) makes Imagine the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 48), opening up a space where Imagine encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 48, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 48, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 48 vs 12, Imagine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 48 vs 8, Imagine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 48, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 48 vs 12, Imagine is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 48 vs 45), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Imagine reflects far more light (LRV 48 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.