Santa Monica Blue vs RAL 620-1
Santa Monica Blue (Benjamin Moore) and RAL 620-1 (RAL Effect) come from different manufacturers. These are both blues, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue to land. The 5-point LRV gap — 16 for Santa Monica Blue vs 11 for RAL 620-1 — means Santa Monica Blue will open up a space more effectively. ΔE 3.5 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Santa Monica Blue vs RAL 620-1 in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Santa Monica Blue and RAL 620-1 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. Santa Monica Blue reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Santa Monica Blue has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. Santa Monica Blue has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Santa Monica Blue vs RAL 620-1 Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Santa Monica Blue on one side and RAL 620-1 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 Santa Monica Blue comparisons
See how Santa Monica Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 16), opening up a space where Santa Monica Blue encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 16, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (16 vs 6) makes Santa Monica Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 16), opening up a space where Santa Monica Blue encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 16), opening up a space where Santa Monica Blue encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 16, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 16), opening up a space where Santa Monica Blue encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 16, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (27 vs 16) makes Denim Drift the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 16), opening up a space where Santa Monica Blue encloses it.
Santa Monica Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 16 vs 4), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 16, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 16 vs 13), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 44 vs 16, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 16), opening up a space where Santa Monica Blue encloses it.
Artichoke reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 16), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 16, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 16, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 16, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 16), opening up a space where Santa Monica Blue encloses it.
A 4-point LRV gap (16 vs 12) makes Santa Monica Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
A 8-point LRV gap (16 vs 8) makes Santa Monica Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 16, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 16), opening up a space where Santa Monica Blue encloses it.
A 4-point LRV gap (16 vs 12) makes Santa Monica Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 16, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 16), opening up a space where Santa Monica Blue encloses it.