Essex Blue vs Pale Green

Essex BlueBehrvsPale GreenRAL ClassicΔE 30.7Very different colors

Essex Blue (Behr) and Pale Green (RAL Classic) come from different manufacturers. Essex Blue reads as blue, while Pale Green reads as green — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 25-point LRV gap — 56 for Essex Blue vs 31 for Pale Green — means Essex Blue will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 30.7 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Essex Blue vs Pale Green in Real Spaces

5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Essex Blue and Pale Green 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

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. Essex Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Pale Green.

Essex BlueBehr Essex Blue living room interior

Visualization

Pale GreenRAL Classic Pale Green 6021 living room duplex

@ugodesign_architecture

Bedroom

Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Essex Blue returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Essex BlueBehr Essex Blue bedroom

Visualization

Pale GreenRAL Classic Pale Green 6021 bedroom

@holzhaus_wacker

Kitchen

Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Essex Blue returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Essex BlueBehr Essex Blue kitchen painted backsplash

Visualization

Pale GreenRAL Classic Pale Green 6021 kitchen

@vombatapojtika

House

A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Essex Blue returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Essex BlueBehr Essex Blue victorian house interior

Visualization

Pale GreenRAL Classic Pale Green 6021 house exterior

@blank_canvas_design_

Kitchen Cabinets

Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. Essex Blue returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Essex BlueBehr Essex Blue kitchen cabinets

Visualization

Pale GreenRAL Classic Pale Green 6021 kitchen cabinets

@sara_elizagarate

Color Details

Essex Blue
Behr · S500-2
Hex#b0ccda
LRV55.9
BrandBehr
NumberS500-2
UndertoneBlue
TemperatureCool
BrightnessMedium
Pale Green
RAL Classic · RAL 6021
Hex#8da180
LRV31.2
BrandRAL Classic
NumberRAL 6021
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessMedium

Essex Blue vs Pale Green Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Essex Blue on one side and Pale Green on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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.

White Dove
Essex Blue
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Essex Blue
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite reads noticeably lighter

Iron Ore
Essex Blue
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Essex Blue is the lighter choice

Purbeck Stone
Essex Blue
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Essex Blue reads slightly lighter

Evergreen Fog
Essex Blue
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Essex Blue is the lighter choice

Mizzle
Essex Blue
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Essex Blue reads slightly lighter

Agreeable Gray
Essex Blue
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray reads slightly lighter

Denim Drift
Essex Blue
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Essex Blue is the lighter choice

Tranquil Dawn
Essex Blue
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Nearly identical in tone

Balboa Mist
Essex Blue
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter

Vintage Vogue
Essex Blue
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Essex Blue is the lighter choice

Pine Needle
Essex Blue
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Essex Blue is the lighter choice

Cement grey
Essex Blue
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Essex Blue is the lighter choice

Black grey
Essex Blue
Black grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Black grey
LRV 6

Essex Blue is the lighter choice

Piazza
Essex Blue
Piazza
Tikkurila
Piazza
LRV 65

Piazza reads slightly lighter

Humble Yellow
Essex Blue
Humble Yellow
Jotun
Humble Yellow
LRV 57

Nearly identical in tone

Grey Blue
Essex Blue
Grey Blue
RAL ClassicClassic
Grey Blue
LRV 7

Essex Blue is the lighter choice

Windmill Lane
Essex Blue
Windmill Lane
Little Greene
Windmill Lane
LRV 31

Essex Blue reads noticeably lighter

Senses
Essex Blue
Senses
Jotun
Senses
LRV 41

Essex Blue reads noticeably lighter

Lamp Black
Essex Blue
Lamp Black
Little Greene
Lamp Black
LRV 3

Essex Blue is the lighter choice

Washed Linen
Essex Blue
Washed Linen
Jotun
Washed Linen
LRV 55

Nearly identical in tone

Tea with Florence
Essex Blue
Tea with Florence
Little Greene
Tea with Florence
LRV 18

Essex Blue is the lighter choice

Thames Fog
Essex Blue
Thames Fog
Valspar
Thames Fog
LRV 27

Essex Blue is the lighter choice

Ocean Abyss
Essex Blue
Ocean Abyss
Behr
Ocean Abyss
LRV 7

Essex Blue is the lighter choice

Classic Silver
Essex Blue
Classic Silver
Behr
Classic Silver
LRV 48

Essex Blue reads slightly lighter

Teton Blue
Essex Blue
Teton Blue
Behr
Teton Blue
LRV 31

Essex Blue is the lighter choice

RAL 110-2
Essex Blue
RAL 110-2
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-2
LRV 72

RAL 110-2 reads noticeably lighter

RAL 110-1
Essex Blue
RAL 110-1
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-1
LRV 80

RAL 110-1 reads noticeably lighter

Paper
Essex Blue
Paper
Tikkurila
Paper
LRV 88

Paper is the lighter choice

Passageway
Essex Blue
Passageway
Valspar
Passageway
LRV 14

Essex Blue is the lighter choice