Upward vs Windy Blue
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. Upward (LRV 57) reflects noticeably more light than Windy Blue (LRV 48), a difference of 10 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. The ΔE 6.7 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Upward vs Windy Blue in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Upward and Windy Blue 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. The LRV gap is large enough that Upward will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Windy 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. Upward reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Windy 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. Upward reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Windy Blue.
Color Details
Upward vs Windy Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Upward on one side and Windy 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 Upward comparisons
See how Upward stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 57), opening up a space where Upward encloses it.
A 6-point LRV gap (57 vs 52) makes Upward the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 57 vs 30, Upward is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 60 vs 57), so neither reads brighter in a room.
With LRVs of 58 and 57, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Upward reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 57 vs 43, Upward is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 57 and 55, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Upward reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 57, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter (LRV 66 vs 57), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 57), opening up a space where Upward encloses it.
Upward reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 68 vs 57), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Upward reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Upward reads slightly lighter (LRV 57 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 57 vs 31, Upward is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 7, Upward is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 24, Upward is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 57 vs 57), so neither reads brighter in a room.