Charcoal Blue vs Midnight Blue
Both from Behr's palette. These are both blue-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue-grey to land. Charcoal Blue (LRV 19) reflects noticeably more light than Midnight Blue (LRV 9), a difference of 10 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean blue, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. With a ΔE of 15.0, 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 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Charcoal Blue vs Midnight Blue in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Charcoal Blue and Midnight Blue in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
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 Charcoal Blue will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Midnight Blue would.
Color Details
Charcoal Blue vs Midnight Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Charcoal Blue on one side and Midnight 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 Charcoal Blue comparisons
See how Charcoal Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 19, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 19), opening up a space where Charcoal Blue encloses it.
Charcoal Blue reflects far more light (LRV 19 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 19, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (30 vs 19) makes Evergreen Fog the marginally brighter of the two.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 19), opening up a space where Charcoal Blue encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 19, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 19), opening up a space where Charcoal Blue encloses it.
Denim Drift reads slightly lighter (LRV 27 vs 19), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 19, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 19 vs 4, Charcoal Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 19), opening up a space where Charcoal Blue encloses it.
Charcoal Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 19 vs 13), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 19), opening up a space where Charcoal Blue encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 19, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 21 vs 19), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 19), opening up a space where Charcoal Blue encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 19), opening up a space where Charcoal Blue encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 19), opening up a space where Charcoal Blue encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 19, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
Charcoal Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 19 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Charcoal Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 19 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 19), opening up a space where Charcoal Blue encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 19, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Charcoal Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 19 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 19), opening up a space where Charcoal Blue encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 19, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.