Mercurial vs Sporty Blue
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Mercurial reads as greige-grey, while Sporty Blue reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Mercurial (LRV 61) reflects noticeably more light than Sporty Blue (LRV 24), a difference of 37 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Mercurial runs warm while Sporty Blue is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 34.0, 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 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Mercurial vs Sporty Blue in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Mercurial and Sporty Blue in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Mercurial reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Sporty Blue.
Color Details
Mercurial vs Sporty Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Mercurial on one side and Sporty 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 Mercurial comparisons
See how Mercurial stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
