Midnight Blue vs Varnished Ivory
Both from Behr's palette. Midnight Blue reads as blue-grey, while Varnished Ivory reads as beige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Varnished Ivory (LRV 72) reflects noticeably more light than Midnight Blue (LRV 9), a difference of 63 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Midnight Blue runs blue while Varnished Ivory is decidedly red, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 54.2, 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.
Midnight Blue vs Varnished Ivory in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Midnight Blue and Varnished Ivory in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Varnished Ivory reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Midnight Blue.
Color Details
Midnight Blue vs Varnished Ivory Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Midnight Blue on one side and Varnished Ivory 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.