Hale Navy vs Stiffkey Blue

Hale NavyBenjamin MoorevsStiffkey BlueFarrow & BallΔE 7.1Noticeable difference

Where Hale Navy belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Stiffkey Blue is a Farrow & Ball color. Hue-wise, Hale Navy belongs to the blue-grey family and Stiffkey Blue to the blue family. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (8 vs 10), so they'll read as similarly Dark in most lighting conditions. Hale Navy runs blue while Stiffkey Blue is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. The ΔE 7.1 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 7 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Hale Navy vs Stiffkey Blue in Real Spaces

7 real rooms side by side. Hale Navy 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

In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. 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.

Hale NavyBenjamin Moore Hale Navy living room accent wall

@clairejefford

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 living room fireplace

@barnesandmoss

Bedroom

The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.

Hale NavyHc-154 Bedroom

@so.in.housetohome

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 bedroom

@riverapartment

Dining Room

A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.

Hale NavyBenjamin Moore Hale Navy Dining Room

@skinnyhouseinteriors

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 dining room

@de_drye_kaasen

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

Hale NavyHale Navy Bathroom

@calliebrueninteriors

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 bathroom

@stowflat

House

Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.

Hale NavyHale Navy Exterior

@prmcustombuilders

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 exterior

@studiotoop

Front Door

A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. 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.

Hale NavyHale Navy Front Door

@ckiminteriordesign

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 front door

@the_burgess_group

Kitchen Cabinets

Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.

Hale NavyBenjamin Moore Hale Navy kitchen cabinets color

@woodharbor

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 kitchen cabinets

@themiddleterrace

Color Details

Hale Navy
Benjamin Moore · HC-154
Hex#434B56
LRV8.4
BrandBenjamin Moore
NumberHC-154
UndertoneBlue
TemperatureCool
BrightnessDark
Stiffkey Blue
Farrow & Ball · 281
Hex#4d5b6a
LRV10.0
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number281
Undertone
TemperatureCool
BrightnessDark

Hale Navy vs Stiffkey Blue Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Hale Navy 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 Hale Navy comparisons

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

White Dove
Hale Navy
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Hale Navy
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
Hale Navy
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Nearly identical in tone

Purbeck Stone
Hale Navy
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone is the lighter choice

Evergreen Fog
Hale Navy
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Evergreen Fog reads noticeably lighter

Mizzle
Hale Navy
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle is the lighter choice

Agreeable Gray
Hale Navy
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray is the lighter choice

Accessible Beige
Hale Navy
Accessible Beige
Sherwin-Williams
Accessible Beige
LRV 58

Accessible Beige is the lighter choice

Denim Drift
Hale Navy
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Denim Drift reads noticeably lighter

French Gray
Hale Navy
French Gray
Farrow & Ball
French Gray
LRV 43

French Gray is the lighter choice

Naval
Hale Navy
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

Hale Navy reads slightly lighter

Tranquil Dawn
Hale Navy
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn is the lighter choice

Bancha
Hale Navy
Bancha
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

Bancha reads slightly lighter

Hardwick White
Hale Navy
Hardwick White
Farrow & Ball
Hardwick White
LRV 44

Hardwick White is the lighter choice

Pure White
Hale Navy
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams
Pure White
LRV 84

Pure White is the lighter choice

Artichoke
Hale Navy
Artichoke
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

Artichoke reads noticeably lighter

Balboa Mist
Hale Navy
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Shoji White
Hale Navy
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams
Shoji White
LRV 74

Shoji White is the lighter choice

Snowbound
Hale Navy
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound is the lighter choice

Pewter Green
Hale Navy
Pewter Green
Sherwin-Williams
Pewter Green
LRV 12

Pewter Green reads slightly lighter

Skimming Stone
Hale Navy
Skimming Stone
Farrow & Ball
Skimming Stone
LRV 68

Skimming Stone is the lighter choice

Dix Blue
Hale Navy
Dix Blue
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

Dix Blue is the lighter choice

Calamine
Hale Navy
Calamine
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68

Calamine is the lighter choice

Treron
Hale Navy
Treron
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25

Treron reads noticeably lighter

Vintage Vogue
Hale Navy
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Vintage Vogue reads slightly lighter

Saybrook Sage
Hale Navy
Saybrook Sage
Benjamin Moore
Saybrook Sage
LRV 45

Saybrook Sage is the lighter choice

Pale Green
Hale Navy
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Pale Green reads noticeably lighter

Pine Needle
Hale Navy
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Nearly identical in tone

Cement grey
Hale Navy
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Cement grey reads noticeably lighter

Guilford Green
Hale Navy
Guilford Green
Benjamin Moore
Guilford Green
LRV 57

Guilford Green is the lighter choice