Reef Blue vs Ammonite
Where Reef Blue belongs to Behr's range, Ammonite is a Farrow & Ball color. Hue-wise, Reef Blue belongs to the blue family and Ammonite to the beige-greige family. Ammonite (LRV 69) reflects noticeably more light than Reef Blue (LRV 45), a difference of 24 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Reef Blue runs blue while Ammonite is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 24.4, 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.
Reef Blue vs Ammonite in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Reef Blue and Ammonite 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 Ammonite will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Reef Blue 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. Ammonite reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Reef Blue.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Ammonite reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Reef Blue.
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. Ammonite reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Reef Blue.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Ammonite reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Reef Blue.
Color Details
Reef Blue vs Ammonite Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Reef Blue on one side and Ammonite 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 Reef Blue comparisons
See how Reef Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 45, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Reef Blue reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 45), opening up a space where Reef Blue encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 45, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 27, Reef Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 45 and 43, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
A 10-point LRV gap (55 vs 45) makes Tranquil Dawn the marginally brighter of the two.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 45 vs 44), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 45), opening up a space where Reef Blue encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 45, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 45, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 12, Reef Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 45, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 12, Reef Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 45 vs 45), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Reef Blue reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Reef Blue reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Reef Blue reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 45), opening up a space where Reef Blue encloses it.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 45), opening up a space where Reef Blue encloses it.