Essex Blue vs Vast Sky
Essex Blue (Behr) and Vast Sky (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. These are both blues, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue to land. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 56 vs 55 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. Where Essex Blue leans blue, Vast Sky reads cool — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 1.9 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Essex Blue vs Vast Sky in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Essex Blue and Vast Sky 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. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Color Details
Essex Blue vs Vast Sky Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Essex Blue on one side and Vast Sky 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.
