Essex Blue

Technical Profile

What color is Essex Blue? It's a very light cool blue with the hex code #B2E4EC. Colors similar to Essex Blue include Dunn-Edwards Winter Escape, Benjamin Moore Serenity, Dunn-Edwards Across the Bay. Comparing swatches side by side is the best way to spot the subtle differences that distinguish these close color relatives. Essex Blue has a cool (blue) undertone, which affects how it pairs with trim, flooring, and adjacent wall colors. Understanding a color's undertone is key to avoiding combinations that clash — it often matters more than the surface color itself. Essex Blue (#B2E4EC) by Behr is a very light blue paint color with a rich, saturated presence that draws the eye. It delivers an airy, open feeling that maximizes the sense of space in any room. On the temperature spectrum this shade carries a cool cast, lending calm and collected elegance. In its RGB breakdown, blue is the dominant channel, which gives it a subtle cool, atmospheric depth even under different lighting conditions. With a Light Reflectance Value of 85, it reflects the vast majority of light, helping smaller rooms feel more spacious. A barely-there blue like this soothes bedrooms, ceilings, and nurseries with its sky-like openness. An eggshell or matte finish works well at this lightness, hiding minor wall imperfections while still being easy to wipe clean. For color coordination, Essex Blue pairs beautifully with red tones for bold complementary contrast, or with neighboring blue and teal hues for a harmonious, flowing palette. Its cool (blue) undertone means trim and ceiling whites should lean neutral to avoid a jarring clash. If Behr is unavailable in your area, close cross-brand alternatives exist from Dunn-Edwards, Benjamin Moore and others. In terms of mood and atmosphere, Essex Blue brings a crisp, spa-like tranquility that opens up a room and calms the mind. Designers often reach for shades like this when the goal is to shape how a room feels, not just how it looks. This shade is a natural fit for nautical, classic traditional, and Hamptons-style interiors. As part of the Behr palette, Essex Blue benefits from a curated selection of coordinating colors that the brand recommends for trim, accent, and ceiling pairings. High-LRV colors like Essex Blue are forgiving in most lighting conditions, but they can pick up reflected color from adjacent walls, flooring, or large furniture pieces, so evaluate samples in situ. Very light shades can sometimes read as stark white on small swatches — viewing a larger area in your intended space reveals the true character of the color. Pair this shade with natural linen, light oak, rattan, and marble for a fresh, layered look, or contrast it with dark walnut and wrought iron for more definition. You can order Essex Blue (S500-2) directly from Behr or through major paint retailers, and we recommend purchasing a peel-and-stick sample to preview it on your wall before buying gallons.