Reef Blue vs Purbeck Stone
Where Reef Blue belongs to Behr's range, Purbeck Stone is a Farrow & Ball color. Reef Blue reads as blue, while Purbeck Stone reads as greige-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Purbeck Stone (LRV 52) reflects noticeably more light than Reef Blue (LRV 45), a difference of 7 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Reef Blue runs blue while Purbeck Stone is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 22.0, 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 Purbeck Stone in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Reef Blue and Purbeck Stone 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 brightness difference is modest but present — Purbeck Stone gives the walls a little more lift.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Reef Blue vs Purbeck Stone Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Reef Blue on one side and Purbeck Stone 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.
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.