Solitude vs Earl Blue
Solitude (Benjamin Moore) and Earl Blue (Dulux) come from different manufacturers. These are both blue-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue-grey to land. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 42 vs 41 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. Where Solitude leans blue, Earl Blue reads cool — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 1.9 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Solitude vs Earl Blue in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Solitude and Earl Blue 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. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
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. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Color Details
Solitude vs Earl Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Solitude on one side and Earl 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 Solitude comparisons
See how Solitude stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 42), opening up a space where Solitude encloses it.
A 10-point LRV gap (52 vs 42) makes Purbeck Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
A 11-point LRV gap (42 vs 30) makes Solitude the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 60 vs 42, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 42), opening up a space where Solitude encloses it.
Solitude reflects far more light (LRV 42 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 43 vs 42), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 42), opening up a space where Solitude encloses it.
With LRVs of 44 and 42, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 84 vs 42, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 42), opening up a space where Solitude encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 42), opening up a space where Solitude encloses it.
Solitude reflects far more light (LRV 42 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Solitude reflects far more light (LRV 42 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 42), opening up a space where Solitude encloses it.
Solitude reflects far more light (LRV 42 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reads slightly lighter (LRV 45 vs 42), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 10-point LRV gap (42 vs 31) makes Solitude the marginally brighter of the two.