Reef Blue vs Cement grey paint color comparison

Reef Blue vs Cement grey

Reef BlueBehrvsCement greyRAL ClassicΔE 29.8Very different colors

Where Reef Blue belongs to Behr's range, Cement grey is a RAL Classic color. Hue-wise, Reef Blue belongs to the blue family and Cement grey to the grey family. Reef Blue (LRV 45) reflects noticeably more light than Cement grey (LRV 24), a difference of 21 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 29.8, 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 Cement grey in Real Spaces

5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Reef Blue and Cement grey 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 Reef Blue will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Cement grey would.

Reef BlueBehr Reef Blue living room interior

Visualization

Cement greyRAL Classic Cement grey 7033 living room

@barnhouse_veluwe

Bedroom

The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Reef Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Cement grey.

Reef BlueBehr Reef Blue bedroom

Visualization

Cement greyRAL Classic Cement grey 7033 bedroom

@11k.studio

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. Reef Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Cement grey.

Reef BlueBehr Reef Blue bathroom

Visualization

Cement greyRAL Classic Cement grey 7033 bathroom

@ediz_yapi

House

Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Reef Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Cement grey.

Reef BlueBehr Reef Blue victorian house interior

Visualization

Cement greyRAL Classic Cement grey 7033 house exterior with stairs

@puntoporta

Kitchen Cabinets

Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Reef Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Cement grey.

Reef BlueBehr Reef Blue kitchen cabinets

Visualization

Cement greyRAL Classic Cement grey 7033 kitchen cabinets

@kasia.kopacz

Color Details

Reef Blue
Behr · S490-3
LRV44.9
BrandBehr
NumberS490-3
UndertoneBlue
TemperatureCool
BrightnessMedium
Cement grey
RAL Classic · RAL 7033
LRV24.1
BrandRAL Classic
NumberRAL 7033
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessDark

Reef Blue vs Cement grey Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Reef Blue on one side and Cement grey on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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.

Reef Blue
Reef Blue
Ammonite
Ammonite
Reef Blue vs Ammonite
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 45), opening up a space where Reef Blue encloses it.

Reef Blue
Reef Blue
White Dove
White Dove
Reef Blue vs White Dove
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45

At LRV 83 vs 45, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.

Reef Blue
Reef Blue
Iron Ore
Iron Ore
Reef Blue vs Iron Ore
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45

At LRV 45 vs 6, Reef Blue is decisively the brighter choice.

Reef Blue
Reef Blue
Purbeck Stone
Purbeck Stone
Reef Blue vs Purbeck Stone
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45

Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Reef Blue
Reef Blue
Evergreen Fog
Evergreen Fog
Reef Blue vs Evergreen Fog
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45

Reef Blue reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.

Reef Blue
Reef Blue
Mizzle
Mizzle
Reef Blue vs Mizzle
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

A 7-point LRV gap (52 vs 45) makes Mizzle the marginally brighter of the two.

Reef Blue
Reef Blue
Agreeable Gray
Agreeable Gray
Reef Blue vs Agreeable Gray
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45

Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 45), opening up a space where Reef Blue encloses it.

Reef Blue
Reef Blue
Accessible Beige
Accessible Beige
Reef Blue vs Accessible Beige
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45

At LRV 58 vs 45, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.

Reef Blue
Reef Blue
Denim Drift
Denim Drift
Reef Blue vs Denim Drift
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45

At LRV 45 vs 27, Reef Blue is decisively the brighter choice.

Reef Blue
Reef Blue
French Gray
French Gray
Reef Blue vs French Gray
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45

With LRVs of 45 and 43, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

Reef Blue
Reef Blue
Naval
Naval
Reef Blue vs Naval
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

Reef Blue reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.

Reef Blue
Reef Blue
Tranquil Dawn
Tranquil Dawn
Reef Blue vs Tranquil Dawn
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45

A 10-point LRV gap (55 vs 45) makes Tranquil Dawn the marginally brighter of the two.

Reef Blue
Reef Blue
Bancha
Bancha
Reef Blue vs Bancha
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

At LRV 45 vs 13, Reef Blue is decisively the brighter choice.

Reef Blue
Reef Blue
Hardwick White
Hardwick White
Reef Blue vs Hardwick White
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 45 vs 44), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Reef Blue
Reef Blue
Pure White
Pure White
Reef Blue vs Pure White
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45

Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 45), opening up a space where Reef Blue encloses it.

Reef Blue
Reef Blue
Artichoke
Artichoke
Reef Blue vs Artichoke
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

Reef Blue reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.

Reef Blue
Reef Blue
Balboa Mist
Balboa Mist
Reef Blue vs Balboa Mist
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45

At LRV 66 vs 45, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.

Reef Blue
Reef Blue
Shoji White
Shoji White
Reef Blue vs Shoji White
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45

At LRV 74 vs 45, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.

Reef Blue
Reef Blue
Snowbound
Snowbound
Reef Blue vs Snowbound
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

At LRV 83 vs 45, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.

Reef Blue
Reef Blue
Pigeon
Pigeon
Reef Blue vs Pigeon
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45
Farrow & Ball
Pigeon
LRV 51

Pigeon reads slightly lighter (LRV 51 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Reef Blue
Reef Blue
Pewter Green
Pewter Green
Reef Blue vs Pewter Green
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45

At LRV 45 vs 12, Reef Blue is decisively the brighter choice.

Reef Blue
Reef Blue
Duck Green
Duck Green
Reef Blue vs Duck Green
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45

At LRV 45 vs 8, Reef Blue is decisively the brighter choice.

Reef Blue
Reef Blue
Skimming Stone
Skimming Stone
Reef Blue vs Skimming Stone
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45

At LRV 68 vs 45, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.

Reef Blue
Reef Blue
Dix Blue
Dix Blue
Reef Blue vs Dix Blue
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

Reef Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 45 vs 41), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Reef Blue
Hicks' Blue
Reef Blue
Hicks' Blue
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45

Reef Blue vs Hicks' Blue

Reef Blue
Slaked Lime Deep
Reef Blue
Slaked Lime Deep
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45

Reef Blue vs Slaked Lime Deep

Reef Blue
Reef Blue
Vintage Vogue
Vintage Vogue
Reef Blue vs Vintage Vogue
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45

At LRV 45 vs 12, Reef Blue is decisively the brighter choice.

Reef Blue
Livid
Reef Blue
Livid
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45

Reef Blue vs Livid

Reef Blue
Reef Blue
Saybrook Sage
Saybrook Sage
Reef Blue vs Saybrook Sage
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 45 vs 45), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Reef Blue
Reef Blue
Pale Green
Pale Green
Reef Blue vs Pale Green
Behr
Reef Blue
S490-3 · LRV 45
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Reef Blue reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.