Natural Blue vs Made in the Shade

Natural BlueJotunvsMade in the ShadeValsparΔE 4.8Noticeable difference

Natural Blue (Jotun) and Made in the Shade (Valspar) come from different manufacturers. Natural Blue reads as blue-grey, while Made in the Shade reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 4-point LRV gap — 33 for Made in the Shade vs 29 for Natural Blue — means Made in the Shade will open up a space more effectively. ΔE 4.8 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Natural Blue vs Made in the Shade in Real Spaces

2 real rooms side by side. Natural Blue and Made in the Shade 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. Made in the Shade reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.

Natural BlueJotun Natural Blue living room accent wall

@ragna_83

Made in the ShadeValspar Made in the Shade hallway picture

@dcf_decorating

Bedroom

Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Made in the Shade has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.

Natural BlueJotun Natural Blue review

@renyveringen

Made in the ShadeValspar Made in the Shade bedroom interior

@s.broadleydecorating

Color Details

Natural Blue
Jotun · 5503
Hex#87959a
LRV29.0
BrandJotun
Number5503
Undertone
TemperatureCool
BrightnessMedium
Made in the Shade
Valspar · V116-2
Hex#959c9c
LRV32.5
BrandValspar
NumberV116-2
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessMedium

Natural Blue vs Made in the Shade Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Natural Blue on one side and Made in the Shade on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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 Natural Blue comparisons

See how Natural Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
Natural Blue
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Natural Blue
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
Natural Blue
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Natural Blue reads noticeably lighter

Purbeck Stone
Natural Blue
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone reads noticeably lighter

Evergreen Fog
Natural Blue
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Nearly identical in tone

Mizzle
Natural Blue
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle reads noticeably lighter

Agreeable Gray
Natural Blue
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray is the lighter choice

Accessible Beige
Natural Blue
Accessible Beige
Sherwin-Williams
Accessible Beige
LRV 58

Accessible Beige is the lighter choice

Denim Drift
Natural Blue
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Nearly identical in tone

French Gray
Natural Blue
French Gray
Farrow & Ball
French Gray
LRV 43

French Gray reads noticeably lighter

Naval
Natural Blue
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

Natural Blue reads noticeably lighter

Tranquil Dawn
Natural Blue
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn is the lighter choice

Bancha
Natural Blue
Bancha
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

Natural Blue reads noticeably lighter

Hardwick White
Natural Blue
Hardwick White
Farrow & Ball
Hardwick White
LRV 44

Hardwick White reads noticeably lighter

Pure White
Natural Blue
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams
Pure White
LRV 84

Pure White is the lighter choice

Artichoke
Natural Blue
Artichoke
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

Natural Blue reads slightly lighter

Balboa Mist
Natural Blue
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Shoji White
Natural Blue
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams
Shoji White
LRV 74

Shoji White is the lighter choice

Snowbound
Natural Blue
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound is the lighter choice

Pewter Green
Natural Blue
Pewter Green
Sherwin-Williams
Pewter Green
LRV 12

Natural Blue reads noticeably lighter

Skimming Stone
Natural Blue
Skimming Stone
Farrow & Ball
Skimming Stone
LRV 68

Skimming Stone is the lighter choice

Dix Blue
Natural Blue
Dix Blue
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

Dix Blue reads noticeably lighter

Calamine
Natural Blue
Calamine
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68

Calamine is the lighter choice

Treron
Natural Blue
Treron
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25

Natural Blue reads slightly lighter

Vintage Vogue
Natural Blue
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Natural Blue reads noticeably lighter

Saybrook Sage
Natural Blue
Saybrook Sage
Benjamin Moore
Saybrook Sage
LRV 45

Saybrook Sage reads noticeably lighter

Pale Green
Natural Blue
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Nearly identical in tone

Pine Needle
Natural Blue
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Natural Blue reads noticeably lighter

Cement grey
Natural Blue
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Natural Blue reads slightly lighter

Guilford Green
Natural Blue
Guilford Green
Benjamin Moore
Guilford Green
LRV 57

Guilford Green is the lighter choice