Citronella vs Frank Blue
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Citronella reads as beige-yellow, while Frank Blue reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Citronella (LRV 41) reflects noticeably more light than Frank Blue (LRV 8), a difference of 33 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Citronella runs warm while Frank Blue is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 113.7, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Citronella vs Frank Blue in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Citronella and Frank Blue 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
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 LRV gap is large enough that Citronella will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Frank Blue would.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Citronella reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Frank Blue.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Citronella will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Frank Blue would.
Color Details
Citronella vs Frank Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Citronella on one side and Frank 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 Citronella comparisons
See how Citronella stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 41, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 41), opening up a space where Citronella encloses it.
Citronella reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
A 11-point LRV gap (52 vs 41) makes Purbeck Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
A 11-point LRV gap (41 vs 30) makes Citronella the marginally brighter of the two.
Mizzle reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 41), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 60 vs 41, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 41), opening up a space where Citronella encloses it.
Citronella reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 43 vs 41), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 41 vs 4, Citronella is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 41), opening up a space where Citronella encloses it.
Citronella reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
With LRVs of 44 and 41, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 84 vs 41, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 41 vs 21, Citronella is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 41), opening up a space where Citronella encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 41), opening up a space where Citronella encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 41), opening up a space where Citronella encloses it.
A 9-point LRV gap (51 vs 41) makes Pigeon the marginally brighter of the two.
Citronella reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Citronella reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 41), opening up a space where Citronella encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 41 vs 41), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Citronella reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reads slightly lighter (LRV 45 vs 41), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 10-point LRV gap (41 vs 31) makes Citronella the marginally brighter of the two.