Marea Baja vs Stratford Blue

Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. These are both blues, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue to land. Stratford Blue (LRV 22) reflects noticeably more light than Marea Baja (LRV 8), a difference of 15 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. With a ΔE of 21.4, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below, 5 simulated room previews show how each color reads at scale — real-room photos will be added as they become available.