First Star vs Soulful Blue
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, First Star belongs to the grey family and Soulful Blue to the blue-grey family. First Star (LRV 69) reflects noticeably more light than Soulful Blue (LRV 20), a difference of 49 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. First Star runs neutral while Soulful Blue is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 37.7, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
First Star vs Soulful Blue in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing First Star and Soulful Blue in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. First Star reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Soulful 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. First Star reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Soulful Blue.
Color Details
First Star vs Soulful Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see First Star on one side and Soulful 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 First Star comparisons
See how First Star stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 69 vs 69), so neither reads brighter in a room.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 69), opening up a space where First Star encloses it.
First Star reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 52, First Star is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 69 vs 30, First Star is decisively the brighter choice.
First Star reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 52), opening up a space where Mizzle encloses it.
A 9-point LRV gap (69 vs 60) makes First Star the marginally brighter of the two.
First Star reads slightly lighter (LRV 69 vs 58), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
First Star reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 43, First Star is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 69 vs 4, First Star is decisively the brighter choice.
First Star reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 55), opening up a space where Tranquil Dawn encloses it.
First Star reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
First Star reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 69, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 69 vs 21, First Star is decisively the brighter choice.
First Star reads slightly lighter (LRV 69 vs 66), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Shoji White reads slightly lighter (LRV 74 vs 69), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 69), opening up a space where First Star encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 51, First Star is decisively the brighter choice.
First Star reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
First Star reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
With LRVs of 69 and 68, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 69 vs 41, First Star is decisively the brighter choice.
First Star reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
First Star reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 31, First Star is decisively the brighter choice.