Moody Blue vs Riverway
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. These are both blue-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue-grey to land. Moody Blue (LRV 26) reflects noticeably more light than Riverway (LRV 16), a difference of 11 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. With a ΔE of 12.0, 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 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Moody Blue vs Riverway in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Seeing Moody Blue 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
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The LRV gap is large enough that Moody Blue will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Riverway would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Moody Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Riverway.
Dining Room
A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. Moody Blue returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Moody Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Riverway.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Moody Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Riverway.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Moody Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Riverway.
Color Details
Moody Blue vs Riverway Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Moody Blue 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.