North Star vs Upward
North Star and Upward come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Hue-wise, North Star belongs to the blue-grey family and Upward to the blue family. The 5-point LRV gap — 62 for North Star vs 57 for Upward — means North Star will open up a space more effectively. Both share a cool character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. ΔE 4.0 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
North Star vs Upward in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. North Star and Upward 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
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. North Star reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. North Star has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. North Star has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Home Office
Home office walls matter more than most — you're looking at them all day, and a color that reads fine at first can become tiring over time. North Star has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
North Star vs Upward Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see North Star on one side and Upward 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 North Star comparisons
See how North Star stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 62, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reads slightly lighter (LRV 69 vs 62), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 62 vs 6, North Star is decisively the brighter choice.
North Star reads slightly lighter (LRV 62 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
North Star reflects far more light (LRV 62 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
A 11-point LRV gap (62 vs 52) makes North Star the marginally brighter of the two.
With LRVs of 62 and 60, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
A 5-point LRV gap (62 vs 58) makes North Star the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 62 vs 27, North Star is decisively the brighter choice.
North Star reflects far more light (LRV 62 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
North Star reflects far more light (LRV 62 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
A 7-point LRV gap (62 vs 55) makes North Star the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 62 vs 13, North Star is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 62 vs 44, North Star is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 62), opening up a space where North Star encloses it.
North Star reflects far more light (LRV 62 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
A 3-point LRV gap (66 vs 62) makes Balboa Mist the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 74 vs 62, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 62, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 62 vs 12, North Star is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (68 vs 62) makes Skimming Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
North Star reflects far more light (LRV 62 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
Calamine reads slightly lighter (LRV 68 vs 62), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
North Star reflects far more light (LRV 62 vs 25), opening up a space where Treron encloses it.
At LRV 62 vs 12, North Star is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 62 vs 45, North Star is decisively the brighter choice.
North Star reflects far more light (LRV 62 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
North Star reflects far more light (LRV 62 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
North Star reflects far more light (LRV 62 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
North Star reads slightly lighter (LRV 62 vs 57), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.