Calico Blue vs Dakota Shadow
Calico Blue and Dakota Shadow come from the same Benjamin Moore collection. Hue-wise, Calico Blue belongs to the blue-green family and Dakota Shadow to the green-grey family. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 9 vs 12 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. Both share a green character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. A ΔE of 2.8 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Calico Blue vs Dakota Shadow in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Calico Blue and Dakota Shadow 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. Dakota Shadow brings more warmth to the space, while Calico Blue keeps things cooler and crisper.
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. Calico Blue reads more restrained here, while Dakota Shadow adds a sense of enclosure and warmth.
Color Details
Calico Blue vs Dakota Shadow Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Calico Blue on one side and Dakota Shadow 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 Calico Blue comparisons
See how Calico Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 9), opening up a space where Calico Blue encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 9, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (9 vs 6) makes Calico Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 9), opening up a space where Calico Blue encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 9), opening up a space where Calico Blue encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 9, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 9), opening up a space where Calico Blue encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 9, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 9, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 9), opening up a space where Calico Blue encloses it.
Calico Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 9 vs 4), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 9, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (13 vs 9) makes Bancha the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 44 vs 9, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 9), opening up a space where Calico Blue encloses it.
Artichoke reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 9), opening up a space where Calico Blue encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 9, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 9, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 9, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 9), opening up a space where Calico Blue encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 9), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 9 vs 8), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 9, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 9), opening up a space where Calico Blue encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 9), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 45 vs 9, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 9), opening up a space where Calico Blue encloses it.