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.
At LRV 83 vs 45, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 45), opening up a space where Santorini Blue encloses it.
At LRV 45 vs 6, Santorini Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Santorini Blue reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
A 7-point LRV gap (52 vs 45) makes Mizzle the marginally brighter of the two.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 45), opening up a space where Santorini Blue encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 45, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 27, Santorini Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 45 and 43, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Santorini Blue reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
A 10-point LRV gap (55 vs 45) makes Tranquil Dawn the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 13, Santorini Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 45 vs 44), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 45), opening up a space where Santorini Blue encloses it.
Santorini Blue reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 45, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 45, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 45, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 12, Santorini Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 45, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Santorini Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 45 vs 41), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 45), opening up a space where Santorini Blue encloses it.
Santorini Blue reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 25), opening up a space where Treron encloses it.
At LRV 45 vs 12, Santorini Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 45 vs 45), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Santorini Blue reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Santorini Blue reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Santorini Blue reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 45), opening up a space where Santorini Blue encloses it.