Ocean Abyss vs Passive
Ocean Abyss (Behr) and Passive (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Ocean Abyss belongs to the blue family and Passive to the grey family. The 53-point LRV gap — 60 for Passive vs 7 for Ocean Abyss — means Passive will open up a space more effectively. Where Ocean Abyss leans blue, Passive reads neutral — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 50.6 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Ocean Abyss vs Passive in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Ocean Abyss and Passive 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. Passive reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Ocean Abyss.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Passive returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The LRV gap is large enough that Passive will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Ocean Abyss would.
Color Details
Ocean Abyss vs Passive Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Ocean Abyss on one side and Passive 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 Ocean Abyss comparisons
See how Ocean Abyss stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
