Nile Blue vs Thunder
Both from Benjamin Moore's palette. Hue-wise, Nile Blue belongs to the blue family and Thunder to the greige-grey family. Thunder (LRV 48) reflects noticeably more light than Nile Blue (LRV 18), a difference of 29 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Nile Blue runs blue while Thunder is decidedly red, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 42.9, 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.
Nile Blue vs Thunder in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Nile Blue and Thunder in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
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. The LRV gap is large enough that Thunder will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Nile Blue would.
Color Details
Nile Blue vs Thunder Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Nile Blue on one side and Thunder 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.