Poolside Blue vs Arsenic
Where Poolside Blue belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Arsenic is a Farrow & Ball color. Hue-wise, Poolside Blue belongs to the blue family and Arsenic to the green family. Poolside Blue (LRV 40) reflects noticeably more light than Arsenic (LRV 37), a difference of 3 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Poolside Blue runs blue while Arsenic is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 22.8, 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 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Poolside Blue vs Arsenic in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Poolside Blue and Arsenic 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. 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.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
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.
Color Details
Poolside Blue vs Arsenic Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Poolside Blue on one side and Arsenic 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 Poolside Blue comparisons
See how Poolside Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 40), opening up a space where Poolside Blue encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 40, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
Poolside Blue reflects far more light (LRV 40 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 40, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (40 vs 30) makes Poolside Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
Mizzle reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 40), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 60 vs 40, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 40), opening up a space where Poolside Blue encloses it.
Poolside Blue reflects far more light (LRV 40 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
A 3-point LRV gap (43 vs 40) makes French Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 40 vs 4, Poolside Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 40), opening up a space where Poolside Blue encloses it.
Poolside Blue reflects far more light (LRV 40 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Hardwick White reads slightly lighter (LRV 44 vs 40), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 40, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 40 vs 21, Poolside Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 40), opening up a space where Poolside Blue encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 40), opening up a space where Poolside Blue encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 40), opening up a space where Poolside Blue encloses it.
Poolside Blue reflects far more light (LRV 40 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 40), opening up a space where Poolside Blue encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 41 vs 40), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 40, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 40 vs 25, Poolside Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Poolside Blue reflects far more light (LRV 40 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reads slightly lighter (LRV 45 vs 40), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 9-point LRV gap (40 vs 31) makes Poolside Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 40 vs 7, Poolside Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 40 vs 24, Poolside Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 40, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.