Candid Blue vs Flan paint color comparison

Candid Blue vs Flan

Candid BlueSherwin-WilliamsvsFlanSherwin-WilliamsΔE 52.4Very different colors

Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. Candid Blue reads as blue, while Flan reads as beige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. At LRV 69 vs 48, Flan will read as the brighter of the two — a 22-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. The tonal difference — Candid Blue's cool character against Flan's warm — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 52.4, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Candid Blue vs Flan in Real Spaces

10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Candid Blue and Flan in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.

Living Room

Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. Flan returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Candid BlueA industrial living room painted in Candid Blue

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FlanA cozy living room painted in Flan

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Bedroom

Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Flan will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Candid Blue would.

Candid BlueA industrial bedroom painted in Candid Blue

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FlanA art deco bedroom painted in Flan

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Kitchen

Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The LRV gap is large enough that Flan will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Candid Blue would.

Candid BlueCandid Blue — minimalist kitchen

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FlanFlan — industrial kitchen

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Dining Room

Dining room light is typically the warmest in the house, which shifts both colors toward the red end of the spectrum compared to daylight. Flan reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Candid Blue.

Candid BlueCandid Blue paint in a art deco dining room

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FlanFlan paint in a art deco dining room

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Bathroom

Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The LRV gap is large enough that Flan will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Candid Blue would.

Candid BlueCandid Blue — traditional bathroom

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FlanFlan — moody bathroom

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Home Office

In a home office, wall color sits in your peripheral vision for hours at a time, so temperature and undertone matter more than you might expect. The LRV gap is large enough that Flan will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Candid Blue would.

Candid BlueSherwin-Williams Candid Blue in a moody home office

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FlanSherwin-Williams Flan in a minimalist home office

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Mudroom

A mudroom color needs to hold up under the most casual scrutiny: a glance as you're coming and going, often in mixed or artificial light. Flan reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Candid Blue.

Candid BlueCandid Blue paint in a industrial mudroom

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FlanFlan paint in a neutral mudroom

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Patio

Patio colors are seen under changing outdoor light throughout the day — morning, midday, and golden hour each reveal different qualities. Flan reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Candid Blue.

Candid Blueminimalist patio featuring Candid Blue by Sherwin-Williams

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Flancontemporary patio featuring Flan by Sherwin-Williams

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House

At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Flan will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Candid Blue would.

Candid BlueCandid Blue color — scandinavian house inspiration

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FlanFlan color — transitional house inspiration

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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. Flan returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Candid Blueclassy front door featuring Candid Blue by Sherwin-Williams

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Flanminimalist front door featuring Flan by Sherwin-Williams

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Color Details

Candid Blue
Sherwin-Williams · 6953
LRV47.6
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number6953
Undertone
TemperatureCool
BrightnessMedium
Flan
Sherwin-Williams · 6652
LRV69.5
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number6652
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessLight

Candid Blue vs Flan Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Candid Blue on one side and Flan 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 Candid Blue comparisons

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

Ammonite
Candid Blue
Ammonite
Candid Blue
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48

Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 48), opening up a space where Candid Blue encloses it.

White Dove
Candid Blue
White Dove
Candid Blue
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48

At LRV 83 vs 48, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.

Candid Blue
Iron Ore
Candid Blue
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48

At LRV 48 vs 6, Candid Blue is decisively the brighter choice.

Purbeck Stone
Candid Blue
Purbeck Stone
Candid Blue
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48

Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 48), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Candid Blue
Evergreen Fog
Candid Blue
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48

Candid Blue reflects far more light (LRV 48 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.

Mizzle
Candid Blue
Mizzle
Candid Blue
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48

A 4-point LRV gap (52 vs 48) makes Mizzle the marginally brighter of the two.

Agreeable Gray
Candid Blue
Agreeable Gray
Candid Blue
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48

Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 48), opening up a space where Candid Blue encloses it.

Accessible Beige
Candid Blue
Accessible Beige
Candid Blue
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48

A 10-point LRV gap (58 vs 48) makes Accessible Beige the marginally brighter of the two.

Denim Drift
Candid Blue
Denim Drift
Candid Blue
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48

At LRV 48 vs 27, Candid Blue is decisively the brighter choice.

French Gray
Candid Blue
French Gray
Candid Blue
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48

Candid Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 48 vs 43), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Candid Blue
Naval
Candid Blue
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

Candid Blue reflects far more light (LRV 48 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.

Tranquil Dawn
Candid Blue
Tranquil Dawn
Candid Blue
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48

A 7-point LRV gap (55 vs 48) makes Tranquil Dawn the marginally brighter of the two.

Bancha
Candid Blue
Bancha
Candid Blue
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48

At LRV 48 vs 13, Candid Blue is decisively the brighter choice.

Hardwick White
Candid Blue
Hardwick White
Candid Blue
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48

A 4-point LRV gap (48 vs 44) makes Candid Blue the marginally brighter of the two.

Candid Blue
Pure White
Candid Blue
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48

Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 48), opening up a space where Candid Blue encloses it.

Artichoke
Candid Blue
Artichoke
Candid Blue
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48

Candid Blue reflects far more light (LRV 48 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.

Balboa Mist
Candid Blue
Balboa Mist
Candid Blue
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48

At LRV 66 vs 48, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.

Candid Blue
Shoji White
Candid Blue
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48

At LRV 74 vs 48, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.

Candid Blue
Snowbound
Candid Blue
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

At LRV 83 vs 48, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.

Pigeon
Candid Blue
Pigeon
Candid Blue
Farrow & Ball
Pigeon
LRV 51
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48

Pigeon reads slightly lighter (LRV 51 vs 48), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Candid Blue
Pewter Green
Candid Blue
Pewter Green
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48

At LRV 48 vs 12, Candid Blue is decisively the brighter choice.

Duck Green
Candid Blue
Duck Green
Candid Blue
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48

At LRV 48 vs 8, Candid Blue is decisively the brighter choice.

Skimming Stone
Candid Blue
Skimming Stone
Candid Blue
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48

At LRV 68 vs 48, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.

Dix Blue
Candid Blue
Dix Blue
Candid Blue
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48

Candid Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 48 vs 41), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Hicks' Blue
Candid Blue
Hicks' Blue
Candid Blue
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48

Hicks' Blue vs Candid Blue

Slaked Lime Deep
Candid Blue
Slaked Lime Deep
Candid Blue

Slaked Lime Deep vs Candid Blue

Vintage Vogue
Candid Blue
Vintage Vogue
Candid Blue
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48

At LRV 48 vs 12, Candid Blue is decisively the brighter choice.

Livid
Candid Blue
Livid
Candid Blue
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48

Livid vs Candid Blue

Saybrook Sage
Candid Blue
Saybrook Sage
Candid Blue
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 48 vs 45), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Pale Green
Candid Blue
Pale Green
Candid Blue
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31
Sherwin-Williams
Candid Blue
6953 · LRV 48

Candid Blue reflects far more light (LRV 48 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.