Rain vs Watery
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Rain belongs to the blue-grey family and Watery to the blue family. Watery (LRV 57) reflects noticeably more light than Rain (LRV 49), a difference of 8 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 5.4 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 7 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Rain vs Watery in Real Spaces
7 real rooms side by side. Rain and Watery 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 brightness difference is modest but present — Watery gives the walls a little more lift.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Watery reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Watery reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Watery reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Watery reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The brightness difference is modest but present — Watery gives the walls a little more lift.
Color Details
Rain vs Watery Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Rain on one side and Watery 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 Rain comparisons
See how Rain stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 49, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 52 and 49, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Rain reflects far more light (LRV 49 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 49), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 8-point LRV gap (58 vs 49) makes Accessible Beige the marginally brighter of the two.
Rain reads slightly lighter (LRV 49 vs 43), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 6-point LRV gap (55 vs 49) makes Tranquil Dawn the marginally brighter of the two.
A 6-point LRV gap (49 vs 44) makes Rain the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 49), opening up a space where Rain encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 49, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 49, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 49 vs 12, Rain is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 49, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 49 vs 12, Rain is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (49 vs 45) makes Rain the marginally brighter of the two.
Rain reflects far more light (LRV 49 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.