Santorini Blue vs Van Courtland Blue
Both from Benjamin Moore's palette. Hue-wise, Santorini Blue belongs to the blue family and Van Courtland Blue to the blue-grey family. Santorini Blue (LRV 45) reflects noticeably more light than Van Courtland Blue (LRV 31), a difference of 13 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean blue, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. With a ΔE of 10.5, 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.
Santorini Blue vs Van Courtland Blue in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Santorini Blue and Van Courtland Blue 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 Santorini Blue will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Van Courtland Blue would.
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. Santorini Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Van Courtland Blue.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Santorini Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Van Courtland Blue.
Color Details
Santorini Blue vs Van Courtland Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Santorini Blue on one side and Van Courtland Blue 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 Santorini Blue comparisons
See how Santorini Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
