Rain vs Dover Surf
Rain (Sherwin-Williams) and Dover Surf (Valspar) come from different manufacturers. Rain reads as blue-grey, while Dover Surf reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 4-point LRV gap — 53 for Dover Surf vs 49 for Rain — means Dover Surf will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 2.3 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Rain vs Dover Surf in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Rain and Dover Surf 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
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Dover Surf reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. Dover Surf has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Rain vs Dover Surf Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Rain on one side and Dover Surf 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.