Cook's Blue vs Searching Blue
Where Cook's Blue belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Searching Blue is a Sherwin-Williams color. Both sit in the blue family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Cook's Blue (LRV 25) reflects noticeably more light than Searching Blue (LRV 21), a difference of 4 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean cool, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. The ΔE 9.1 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Cook's Blue vs Searching Blue in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Cook's Blue and Searching 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.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Cook's Blue reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The brightness difference is modest but present — Cook's Blue gives the walls a little more lift.
Color Details
Cook's Blue vs Searching Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cook's Blue on one side and Searching 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 Cook's Blue comparisons
See how Cook's Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
