Pigeon blue vs Searching Blue

Pigeon blue is a RAL Classic color while Searching Blue comes from Sherwin-Williams. These are both blues, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue to land. With LRVs of 22 and 21, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. With a ΔE of 3.0, the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side to reliably tell them apart. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Pigeon blue vs Searching Blue in Real Spaces

1 real room side by side. Pigeon 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.

Front Door

Front doors are seen in isolation against the rest of the facade, which makes them a high-stakes surface where even subtle differences matter. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.

Pigeon blueRAL Classic 5014 front door picture

@spectrumglazing

Searching BlueSW Searching Blue door paint

@renindoors

Color Details

Pigeon blue
RAL Classic · RAL 5014
Hex#637D96
LRV21.5
BrandRAL Classic
NumberRAL 5014
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessDark
Searching Blue
Sherwin-Williams · 6536
Hex#6C7F9A
LRV20.6
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number6536
Undertone
TemperatureCool
BrightnessMedium

Pigeon blue vs Searching Blue Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Pigeon blue on one side and Searching Blue 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 Pigeon blue comparisons

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

White Dove
Pigeon blue
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Pigeon blue
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
Pigeon blue
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Pigeon blue reads noticeably lighter

Purbeck Stone
Pigeon blue
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone is the lighter choice

Evergreen Fog
Pigeon blue
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Evergreen Fog reads slightly lighter

Mizzle
Pigeon blue
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle is the lighter choice

Agreeable Gray
Pigeon blue
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray is the lighter choice

Denim Drift
Pigeon blue
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Denim Drift reads slightly lighter

Tranquil Dawn
Pigeon blue
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn is the lighter choice

Balboa Mist
Pigeon blue
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Vintage Vogue
Pigeon blue
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Pigeon blue reads slightly lighter

Pale Green
Pigeon blue
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Pale Green reads slightly lighter

Pine Needle
Pigeon blue
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Pigeon blue reads noticeably lighter

Cement grey
Pigeon blue
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Nearly identical in tone

Black grey
Pigeon blue
Black grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Black grey
LRV 6

Pigeon blue reads noticeably lighter

Piazza
Pigeon blue
Piazza
Tikkurila
Piazza
LRV 65

Piazza is the lighter choice

Humble Yellow
Pigeon blue
Humble Yellow
Jotun
Humble Yellow
LRV 57

Humble Yellow is the lighter choice

Windmill Lane
Pigeon blue
Windmill Lane
Little Greene
Windmill Lane
LRV 31

Windmill Lane reads slightly lighter

Senses
Pigeon blue
Senses
Jotun
Senses
LRV 41

Senses reads noticeably lighter

Lamp Black
Pigeon blue
Lamp Black
Little Greene
Lamp Black
LRV 3

Pigeon blue reads noticeably lighter

Washed Linen
Pigeon blue
Washed Linen
Jotun
Washed Linen
LRV 55

Washed Linen is the lighter choice

Tea with Florence
Pigeon blue
Tea with Florence
Little Greene
Tea with Florence
LRV 18

Pigeon blue reads slightly lighter

Thames Fog
Pigeon blue
Thames Fog
Valspar
Thames Fog
LRV 27

Thames Fog reads slightly lighter

Ocean Abyss
Pigeon blue
Ocean Abyss
Behr
Ocean Abyss
LRV 7

Pigeon blue reads noticeably lighter

Classic Silver
Pigeon blue
Classic Silver
Behr
Classic Silver
LRV 48

Classic Silver is the lighter choice

Teton Blue
Pigeon blue
Teton Blue
Behr
Teton Blue
LRV 31

Teton Blue reads slightly lighter

RAL 110-2
Pigeon blue
RAL 110-2
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-2
LRV 72

RAL 110-2 is the lighter choice

RAL 110-1
Pigeon blue
RAL 110-1
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-1
LRV 80

RAL 110-1 is the lighter choice

Paper
Pigeon blue
Paper
Tikkurila
Paper
LRV 88

Paper is the lighter choice

Passageway
Pigeon blue
Passageway
Valspar
Passageway
LRV 14

Pigeon blue reads slightly lighter