Blue Heron vs Artichoke
Where Blue Heron belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Artichoke is a Sherwin-Williams color. Blue Heron reads as blue, while Artichoke reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Artichoke (LRV 21) reflects noticeably more light than Blue Heron (LRV 16), a difference of 6 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Blue Heron runs blue while Artichoke is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 33.6, 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 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Blue Heron vs Artichoke in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Blue Heron and Artichoke in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Artichoke reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Artichoke reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The brightness difference is modest but present — Artichoke gives the walls a little more lift.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Artichoke reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Blue Heron vs Artichoke Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Blue Heron on one side and Artichoke 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.
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.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 16), opening up a space where Blue Heron encloses it.