Athens Blue vs Blue Nova
Both from Benjamin Moore's palette. Both sit in the blue family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (19 vs 17), so they'll read as similarly Dark in most lighting conditions. Both lean blue, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. With a ΔE of 13.4, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Athens Blue vs Blue Nova in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Athens Blue and Blue Nova in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Color Details
Athens Blue vs Blue Nova Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Athens Blue on one side and Blue Nova 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.