Blue Heron vs Blue Nova
Blue Heron and Blue Nova come from the same Benjamin Moore collection. These are both blues, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue to land. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 16 vs 17 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. Both share a blue character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. ΔE 6.1 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 Heron vs Blue Nova in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Blue Heron and Blue Nova 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.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
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.
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.
Color Details
Blue Heron vs Blue Nova Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Blue Heron 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.
More Blue Heron comparisons
See how Blue Heron stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 16, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 16), opening up a space where Blue Heron encloses it.
A 10-point LRV gap (16 vs 6) makes Blue Heron the marginally brighter of the two.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 16), opening up a space where Blue Heron encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 16), opening up a space where Blue Heron encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 16, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 16), opening up a space where Blue Heron encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 16, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (27 vs 16) makes Denim Drift the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 16), opening up a space where Blue Heron encloses it.
Blue Heron reads slightly lighter (LRV 16 vs 4), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 16, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 16 vs 13), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 44 vs 16, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 16), opening up a space where Blue Heron encloses it.
Artichoke reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 16), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 16, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 16, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 16, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (16 vs 12) makes Blue Heron the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 16, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 16), opening up a space where Blue Heron encloses it.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 16), opening up a space where Blue Heron encloses it.
Treron reads slightly lighter (LRV 25 vs 16), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 4-point LRV gap (16 vs 12) makes Blue Heron the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 16, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 16), opening up a space where Blue Heron encloses it.
Blue Heron reads slightly lighter (LRV 16 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Cement grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 24 vs 16), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 16), opening up a space where Blue Heron encloses it.