Refuge vs Tempe Star
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. These are both blues, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue to land. Refuge (LRV 19) reflects noticeably more light than Tempe Star (LRV 11), a difference of 8 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 10.8, 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 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Refuge vs Tempe Star in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Refuge and Tempe Star 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 brightness difference is modest but present — Refuge gives the walls a little more lift.
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. Refuge has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Refuge reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Refuge vs Tempe Star Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Refuge on one side and Tempe Star 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 Refuge comparisons
See how Refuge stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
