Inky Blue vs Luxe Blue
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Both sit in the blue family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Inky Blue (LRV 15) reflects noticeably more light than Luxe Blue (LRV 13), a difference of 3 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean cool, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. The ΔE 8.7 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Inky Blue vs Luxe Blue in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Inky Blue and Luxe Blue 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
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. 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.
Color Details
Inky Blue vs Luxe Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Inky Blue on one side and Luxe Blue 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 Inky Blue comparisons
See how Inky Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 15, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 15), opening up a space where Inky Blue encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 15), opening up a space where Inky Blue encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 15), opening up a space where Inky Blue encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 15, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 12-point LRV gap (27 vs 15) makes Denim Drift the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 15), opening up a space where Inky Blue encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 15, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 15, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 15), opening up a space where Inky Blue encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 15, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 15, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (15 vs 12) makes Inky Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 15, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (15 vs 12) makes Inky Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 15, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 15), opening up a space where Inky Blue encloses it.
Inky Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 15 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Cement grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 24 vs 15), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 15), opening up a space where Inky Blue encloses it.