Smoky Blue vs Stargazer
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Smoky Blue belongs to the blue family and Stargazer to the blue-grey family. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (15 vs 17), so they'll read as similarly Dark in most lighting conditions. Both lean cool, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. The ΔE 4.5 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Smoky Blue vs Stargazer in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Smoky Blue and Stargazer 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
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Color Details
Smoky Blue vs Stargazer Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Smoky Blue on one side and Stargazer 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 Smoky Blue comparisons
See how Smoky Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 15), opening up a space where Smoky Blue encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 15, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (15 vs 6) makes Smoky Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 15), opening up a space where Smoky Blue encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 15), opening up a space where Smoky Blue encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 15, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 15), opening up a space where Smoky Blue encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 15, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 15, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 15), opening up a space where Smoky Blue encloses it.
Smoky Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 15 vs 4), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 15, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 15 vs 13), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 44 vs 15, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 15), opening up a space where Smoky Blue encloses it.
Artichoke reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 15), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 15, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 15, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 15, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 15), opening up a space where Smoky Blue encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 15 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 6-point LRV gap (15 vs 8) makes Smoky Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 15, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 15), opening up a space where Smoky Blue encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 15 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 45 vs 15, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 15), opening up a space where Smoky Blue encloses it.