Marlboro Blue vs Washed Linen
Where Marlboro Blue belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Washed Linen is a Jotun color. Hue-wise, Marlboro Blue belongs to the blue family and Washed Linen to the beige-greige family. Washed Linen (LRV 55) reflects noticeably more light than Marlboro Blue (LRV 46), a difference of 9 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Marlboro Blue runs blue while Washed Linen is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 20.8, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Marlboro Blue vs Washed Linen in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Marlboro Blue and Washed Linen in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
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. Washed Linen reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Marlboro Blue.
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. Washed Linen reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Marlboro Blue.
Color Details
Marlboro Blue vs Washed Linen Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Marlboro Blue on one side and Washed Linen 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 Marlboro Blue comparisons
See how Marlboro Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
