Bedford Blue vs Steam
Both from Benjamin Moore's palette. Hue-wise, Bedford Blue belongs to the blue family and Steam to the beige-greige family. Steam (LRV 84) reflects noticeably more light than Bedford Blue (LRV 17), a difference of 67 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Bedford Blue runs blue while Steam is decidedly yellow, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 52.8, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Bedford Blue vs Steam in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Bedford Blue and Steam 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 Steam will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Bedford 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. Steam reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Bedford Blue.
Color Details
Bedford Blue vs Steam Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Bedford Blue on one side and Steam 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 Bedford Blue comparisons
See how Bedford Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 17, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 17), opening up a space where Bedford Blue encloses it.
A 12-point LRV gap (17 vs 6) makes Bedford Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 17), opening up a space where Bedford Blue encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 17), opening up a space where Bedford Blue encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 17, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 17), opening up a space where Bedford Blue encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 17, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (27 vs 17) makes Denim Drift the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 17), opening up a space where Bedford Blue encloses it.
Bedford Blue reflects far more light (LRV 17 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 17, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (17 vs 13) makes Bedford Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 44 vs 17, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 17), opening up a space where Bedford Blue encloses it.
Artichoke reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 17), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 17, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 17, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 17, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (17 vs 12) makes Bedford Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 17, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 17), opening up a space where Bedford Blue encloses it.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 17), opening up a space where Bedford Blue encloses it.
Treron reads slightly lighter (LRV 25 vs 17), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 6-point LRV gap (17 vs 12) makes Bedford Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 17, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 17), opening up a space where Bedford Blue encloses it.
Bedford Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 17 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Cement grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 24 vs 17), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 17), opening up a space where Bedford Blue encloses it.