Blue Danube vs Stiffkey Blue paint color comparison

Blue Danube vs Stiffkey Blue

Blue DanubeBenjamin MoorevsStiffkey BlueFarrow & BallΔE 9.9Noticeable difference

Blue Danube (Benjamin Moore) and Stiffkey 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. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 11 vs 10 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. Where Blue Danube leans blue, Stiffkey Blue reads cool — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. ΔE 9.9 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Blue Danube vs Stiffkey Blue in Real Spaces

4 real rooms side by side. Blue Danube and Stiffkey Blue are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.

Living Room

A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.

Blue DanubeBenjamin Moore 2062-30 ceiling paint

@this_foursquare_life

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 living room fireplace

@barnesandmoss

Dining Room

Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. 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.

Blue DanubeBenjamin Moore Blue Danube dining room review

@smithmcclainvt

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 dining room

@de_drye_kaasen

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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.

Blue DanubeBenjamin Moore Blue Danube front door paint

@fivestarpainting_neworleans

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 front door

@the_burgess_group

Kitchen Cabinets

Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.

Blue DanubeBenjamin Moore Blue Danube kitchen cabinets color

@kennebec_co

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 kitchen cabinets

@themiddleterrace

Color Details

Blue Danube
Benjamin Moore · 2062-30
LRV11.2
BrandBenjamin Moore
Number2062-30
UndertoneBlue
TemperatureCool
BrightnessDark
Stiffkey Blue
Farrow & Ball · 281
LRV10.0
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number281
Undertone
TemperatureCool
BrightnessDark

Blue Danube vs Stiffkey Blue Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Blue Danube on one side and Stiffkey Blue 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 Blue Danube comparisons

See how Blue Danube stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

Blue Danube
Ammonite
Blue Danube
Ammonite
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 11), opening up a space where Blue Danube encloses it.

Blue Danube
White Dove
Blue Danube
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11

At LRV 83 vs 11, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.

Blue Danube
Iron Ore
Blue Danube
Iron Ore
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11

A 6-point LRV gap (11 vs 6) makes Blue Danube the marginally brighter of the two.

Blue Danube
Purbeck Stone
Blue Danube
Purbeck Stone
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11

Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 11), opening up a space where Blue Danube encloses it.

Blue Danube
Evergreen Fog
Blue Danube
Evergreen Fog
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11

Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 11), opening up a space where Blue Danube encloses it.

Blue Danube
Mizzle
Blue Danube
Mizzle
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

At LRV 52 vs 11, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.

Blue Danube
Agreeable Gray
Blue Danube
Agreeable Gray
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11

Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 11), opening up a space where Blue Danube encloses it.

Blue Danube
Accessible Beige
Blue Danube
Accessible Beige
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11

At LRV 58 vs 11, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.

Blue Danube
Denim Drift
Blue Danube
Denim Drift
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11

At LRV 27 vs 11, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.

Blue Danube
French Gray
Blue Danube
French Gray
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11

French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 11), opening up a space where Blue Danube encloses it.

Blue Danube
Naval
Blue Danube
Naval
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

Blue Danube reads slightly lighter (LRV 11 vs 4), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Blue Danube
Tranquil Dawn
Blue Danube
Tranquil Dawn
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11

At LRV 55 vs 11, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.

Blue Danube
Bancha
Blue Danube
Bancha
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 13 vs 11), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Blue Danube
Hardwick White
Blue Danube
Hardwick White
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11

At LRV 44 vs 11, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.

Blue Danube
Pure White
Blue Danube
Pure White
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11

Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 11), opening up a space where Blue Danube encloses it.

Blue Danube
Artichoke
Blue Danube
Artichoke
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

Artichoke reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 11), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Balboa Mist
Blue Danube
Balboa Mist
Blue Danube
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11

At LRV 66 vs 11, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.

Blue Danube
Shoji White
Blue Danube
Shoji White
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11

At LRV 74 vs 11, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.

Blue Danube
Snowbound
Blue Danube
Snowbound
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

At LRV 83 vs 11, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.

Blue Danube
Pigeon
Blue Danube
Pigeon
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11
Farrow & Ball
Pigeon
LRV 51

Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 11), opening up a space where Blue Danube encloses it.

Blue Danube
Pewter Green
Blue Danube
Pewter Green
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 11), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Blue Danube
Duck Green
Blue Danube
Duck Green
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 11 vs 8), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Blue Danube
Skimming Stone
Blue Danube
Skimming Stone
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11

At LRV 68 vs 11, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.

Blue Danube
Dix Blue
Blue Danube
Dix Blue
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 11), opening up a space where Blue Danube encloses it.

Blue Danube
Hicks' Blue
Blue Danube
Hicks' Blue
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11

Blue Danube vs Hicks' Blue

Blue Danube
Slaked Lime Deep
Blue Danube
Slaked Lime Deep
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11

Blue Danube vs Slaked Lime Deep

Blue Danube
Vintage Vogue
Blue Danube
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 11), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Blue Danube
Livid
Blue Danube
Livid
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11

Blue Danube vs Livid

Blue Danube
Saybrook Sage
Blue Danube
Saybrook Sage
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11

At LRV 45 vs 11, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.

Blue Danube
Pale Green
Blue Danube
Pale Green
Benjamin Moore
Blue Danube
2062-30 · LRV 11
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 11), opening up a space where Blue Danube encloses it.