North Beach Blue vs James
North Beach Blue is a Cloverdale Paint color while James comes from Little Greene. These are both blue-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue-grey to land. At LRV 33 vs 30, North Beach Blue will read as the brighter of the two — a 3-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 7.4, the difference is perceptible but not dramatic — the two can work harmoniously in the same space. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
North Beach Blue vs James in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. North Beach Blue and James 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
Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. North Beach Blue has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
North Beach Blue vs James Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see North Beach Blue on one side and James 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 North Beach Blue comparisons
See how North Beach Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 33), opening up a space where North Beach Blue encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 33, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
North Beach Blue reflects far more light (LRV 33 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 33, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 33 vs 30), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 33), opening up a space where North Beach Blue encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 33, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 33), opening up a space where North Beach Blue encloses it.
North Beach Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 33 vs 27), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 10-point LRV gap (43 vs 33) makes French Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 33 vs 4, North Beach Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 33), opening up a space where North Beach Blue encloses it.
North Beach Blue reflects far more light (LRV 33 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Hardwick White reads slightly lighter (LRV 44 vs 33), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 33, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 12-point LRV gap (33 vs 21) makes North Beach Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 33), opening up a space where North Beach Blue encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 33), opening up a space where North Beach Blue encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 33), opening up a space where North Beach Blue encloses it.
North Beach Blue reflects far more light (LRV 33 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 33), opening up a space where North Beach Blue encloses it.
A 8-point LRV gap (41 vs 33) makes Dix Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 33, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (33 vs 25) makes North Beach Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
North Beach Blue reflects far more light (LRV 33 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 33), opening up a space where North Beach Blue encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 33 vs 31), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 33 vs 7, North Beach Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (33 vs 24) makes North Beach Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 57 vs 33, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.