Athens Blue vs Cook's Blue
Athens Blue (Benjamin Moore) and Cook's Blue (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Both sit in the blue family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. The 6-point LRV gap — 25 for Cook's Blue vs 19 for Athens Blue — means Cook's Blue will open up a space more effectively. Where Athens Blue leans blue, Cook's Blue reads cool — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 16.7 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Athens Blue vs Cook's Blue in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Athens Blue and Cook's Blue in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. Cook's Blue has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Front Door
On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. Cook's Blue reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Athens Blue vs Cook's Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Athens Blue on one side and Cook's Blue 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 Athens Blue comparisons
See how Athens Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 19, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.
Athens Blue reflects far more light (LRV 19 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 19, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 12-point LRV gap (30 vs 19) makes Evergreen Fog the marginally brighter of the two.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 19, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.
Denim Drift reads slightly lighter (LRV 27 vs 19), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 19, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 19 vs 4, Athens Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.
Athens Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 19 vs 13), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 19, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 21 vs 19), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 19, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
Athens Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 19 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Athens Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 19 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 19, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Athens Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 19 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 19, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.