Essex Blue vs Lamp Black
Where Essex Blue belongs to Behr's range, Lamp Black is a Little Greene color. Hue-wise, Essex Blue belongs to the blue family and Lamp Black to the grey family. Essex Blue (LRV 56) reflects noticeably more light than Lamp Black (LRV 3), a difference of 53 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Essex Blue runs blue while Lamp Black is decidedly purple, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 63.0, 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 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Essex Blue vs Lamp Black in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Essex Blue and Lamp Black 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 Essex Blue will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Lamp Black 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. Essex Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Lamp Black.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Essex Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Lamp Black.
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. Essex Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Lamp Black.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Essex Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Lamp Black.
Color Details
Essex Blue vs Lamp Black Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Essex Blue on one side and Lamp Black 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 Essex Blue comparisons
See how Essex Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
