Spectra Blue vs Artichoke
Where Spectra Blue belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Artichoke is a Sherwin-Williams color. Spectra Blue reads as blue, while Artichoke reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Spectra Blue (LRV 56) reflects noticeably more light than Artichoke (LRV 21), a difference of 34 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Spectra Blue runs blue while Artichoke is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 35.2, 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 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Spectra Blue vs Artichoke in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Spectra Blue and Artichoke in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Spectra Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Artichoke.
Color Details
Spectra Blue vs Artichoke Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Spectra Blue on one side and Artichoke 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 Spectra Blue comparisons
See how Spectra Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 56), opening up a space where Spectra Blue encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 56, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 56 vs 6, Spectra Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Spectra Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 56 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Spectra Blue reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
A 4-point LRV gap (56 vs 52) makes Spectra Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
Agreeable Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 56), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 58 vs 56), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 56 vs 27, Spectra Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Spectra Blue reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
Spectra Blue reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 56 vs 55), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 56 vs 13, Spectra Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 56 vs 44, Spectra Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 56), opening up a space where Spectra Blue encloses it.
A 10-point LRV gap (66 vs 56) makes Balboa Mist the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 74 vs 56, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 56, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Spectra Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 56 vs 51), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 56 vs 12, Spectra Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 56 vs 8, Spectra Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 56, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Spectra Blue reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
At LRV 56 vs 12, Spectra Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (56 vs 45) makes Spectra Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
Spectra Blue reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Spectra Blue reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.