Oval Room Blue vs Cadet
Where Oval Room Blue belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Cadet is a Sherwin-Williams color. These are both blue-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue-grey to land. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (32 vs 31), so they'll read as similarly Medium in most lighting conditions. Oval Room Blue runs cool while Cadet is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. The ΔE 4.8 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.
Oval Room Blue vs Cadet in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Oval Room Blue and Cadet 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. The temperature contrast between Cadet and Oval Room Blue is what sets these apart most in this context.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Cadet brings more warmth to the space, while Oval Room Blue keeps things cooler and crisper.
Color Details
Oval Room Blue vs Cadet Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Oval Room Blue on one side and Cadet 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 Oval Room Blue comparisons
See how Oval Room Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 32, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 32), opening up a space where Oval Room Blue encloses it.
Oval Room Blue reflects far more light (LRV 32 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 32, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 32 vs 30), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 32), opening up a space where Oval Room Blue encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 32, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 32), opening up a space where Oval Room Blue encloses it.
Oval Room Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 32 vs 27), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 11-point LRV gap (43 vs 32) makes French Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 32 vs 4, Oval Room Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 32), opening up a space where Oval Room Blue encloses it.
Oval Room Blue reflects far more light (LRV 32 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Hardwick White reads slightly lighter (LRV 44 vs 32), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 32, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (32 vs 21) makes Oval Room Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 32), opening up a space where Oval Room Blue encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 32), opening up a space where Oval Room Blue encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 32), opening up a space where Oval Room Blue encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 32, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
Oval Room Blue reflects far more light (LRV 32 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Oval Room Blue reflects far more light (LRV 32 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 32), opening up a space where Oval Room Blue encloses it.
A 9-point LRV gap (41 vs 32) makes Dix Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
Oval Room Blue reflects far more light (LRV 32 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 32), opening up a space where Oval Room Blue encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 32 vs 31), so neither reads brighter in a room.