Searching Blue vs Storm Cloud
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Searching Blue belongs to the blue family and Storm Cloud to the blue-grey family. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (21 vs 23), so they'll read as similarly Medium in most lighting conditions. Searching Blue runs cool while Storm Cloud is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 10.9, 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 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Searching Blue vs Storm Cloud in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Searching Blue and Storm Cloud in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
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. Searching Blue reads more restrained here, while Storm Cloud adds a sense of enclosure and warmth.
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. Storm Cloud brings more warmth to the space, while Searching Blue keeps things cooler and crisper.
Mudroom
Mudrooms are seen in passing, often under whatever light comes through the door — a context that favors colors with some depth. Searching Blue reads more restrained here, while Storm Cloud adds a sense of enclosure and warmth.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The temperature contrast between Storm Cloud and Searching Blue is what sets these apart most in this context.
Color Details
Searching Blue vs Storm Cloud Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Searching Blue on one side and Storm Cloud 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 Searching Blue comparisons
See how Searching Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 21), opening up a space where Searching Blue encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 21, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
Searching Blue reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 21, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (30 vs 21) makes Evergreen Fog the marginally brighter of the two.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 21), opening up a space where Searching Blue encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 21, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 21), opening up a space where Searching Blue encloses it.
Denim Drift reads slightly lighter (LRV 27 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 21, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 21 vs 4, Searching Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 21), opening up a space where Searching Blue encloses it.
Searching Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 13), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 21), opening up a space where Searching Blue encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 21, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 21 vs 21), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 21), opening up a space where Searching Blue encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 21), opening up a space where Searching Blue encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 21), opening up a space where Searching Blue encloses it.
Searching Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 21), opening up a space where Searching Blue encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 21, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 21, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (25 vs 21) makes Treron the marginally brighter of the two.
Searching Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 21), opening up a space where Searching Blue encloses it.
A 11-point LRV gap (31 vs 21) makes Pale Green the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 21 vs 7, Searching Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (24 vs 21) makes Cement grey the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 57 vs 21, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.