Santorini Blue vs Pigeon
Santorini Blue (Benjamin Moore) and Pigeon (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Santorini Blue reads as blue, while Pigeon reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 6-point LRV gap — 51 for Pigeon vs 45 for Santorini Blue — means Pigeon will open up a space more effectively. Where Santorini Blue leans blue, Pigeon reads neutral — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 14.0 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Santorini Blue vs Pigeon in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Santorini Blue and Pigeon 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
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. Pigeon 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. Pigeon 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. Pigeon has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Santorini Blue vs Pigeon Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Santorini Blue on one side and Pigeon 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.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 45), opening up a space where Santorini Blue encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 45, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
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 45 vs 8, 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.
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.