Dock Blue vs Charcoal Blue
Where Dock Blue belongs to Little Greene's range, Charcoal Blue is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Dock Blue belongs to the blue family and Charcoal Blue to the blue-grey family. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (4 vs 6), so they'll read as similarly Dark in most lighting conditions. Dock Blue runs blue while Charcoal Blue is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. The ΔE 6.1 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Dock Blue vs Charcoal Blue in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Dock Blue and Charcoal 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
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Color Details
Dock Blue vs Charcoal Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Dock Blue on one side and Charcoal 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 Dock Blue comparisons
See how Dock Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
