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.
More Moody Blue comparisons
See how Moody Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 26), opening up a space where Moody Blue encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 26, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
Moody Blue reflects far more light (LRV 26 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 26, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (30 vs 26) makes Evergreen Fog the marginally brighter of the two.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 26), opening up a space where Moody Blue encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 26, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 26), opening up a space where Moody Blue encloses it.
With LRVs of 27 and 26, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 43 vs 26, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 26 vs 4, Moody Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 26), opening up a space where Moody Blue encloses it.
Moody Blue reflects far more light (LRV 26 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 26), opening up a space where Moody Blue encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 26, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (26 vs 21) makes Moody Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 26), opening up a space where Moody Blue encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 26), opening up a space where Moody Blue encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 26), opening up a space where Moody Blue encloses it.
Moody Blue reflects far more light (LRV 26 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 26), opening up a space where Moody Blue encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 26, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 26, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 26 vs 25), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Moody Blue reflects far more light (LRV 26 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 26), opening up a space where Moody Blue encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (31 vs 26) makes Pale Green the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 26 vs 7, Moody Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 26 vs 24), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 57 vs 26, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.