Shoji White vs Smoky Blue
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Shoji White belongs to the beige-greige family and Smoky Blue to the blue family. Shoji White (LRV 74) reflects noticeably more light than Smoky Blue (LRV 15), a difference of 60 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Shoji White runs warm while Smoky Blue is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 46.8, 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 8 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Shoji White vs Smoky Blue in Real Spaces
8 real rooms side by side. Seeing Shoji White and Smoky Blue 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 Shoji White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Smoky Blue 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. Shoji White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Smoky Blue.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Shoji White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Smoky Blue.
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. Shoji White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Smoky Blue.
Home Office
The test for a home office color isn't how it looks in a quick glance — it's whether it still feels right after a full day of work. Shoji White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Smoky Blue.
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. Shoji White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Smoky Blue.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Shoji White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Smoky Blue would.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Shoji White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Smoky Blue.
Color Details
Shoji White vs Smoky Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Shoji White on one side and Smoky Blue 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 Shoji White comparisons
See how Shoji White stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reads slightly lighter (LRV 83 vs 74), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 5-point LRV gap (74 vs 69) makes Shoji White the marginally brighter of the two.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 74 vs 52, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 30, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 52), opening up a space where Mizzle encloses it.
At LRV 74 vs 60, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 58), opening up a space where Accessible Beige encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 74 vs 43, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 4, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 55), opening up a space where Tranquil Dawn encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
A 10-point LRV gap (84 vs 74) makes Pure White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 74 vs 21, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
Shoji White reads slightly lighter (LRV 74 vs 66), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Snowbound reads slightly lighter (LRV 83 vs 74), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Shoji White reads slightly lighter (LRV 74 vs 68), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 74 vs 41, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (74 vs 68) makes Shoji White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 74 vs 25, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 74 vs 31, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 7, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 24, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 57, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 74 vs 72), so neither reads brighter in a room.