Caffeine vs Hardwick White

CaffeineBehrvsHardwick WhiteFarrow & BallΔE 20.2Distinct difference

Where Caffeine belongs to Behr's range, Hardwick White is a Farrow & Ball color. These are both greige-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within greige-grey to land. Hardwick White (LRV 44) reflects noticeably more light than Caffeine (LRV 20), a difference of 23 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Caffeine runs red while Hardwick White is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 20.2, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Caffeine vs Hardwick White in Real Spaces

2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Caffeine and Hardwick White 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 Hardwick White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Caffeine would.

CaffeineBehr N210-5 living room color paint

@rbrcle

Hardwick WhiteFarrow and Ball Hardwick White 5 living room

@pinnaclepaintanddecorators

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. Hardwick White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Caffeine.

CaffeineBehr Caffeine bathroom color

@homepaced

Hardwick WhiteFarrow and Ball Hardwick White 5 bathroom

@zoeallaninteriors

Color Details

Caffeine
Behr · N210-5
Hex#8a796a
LRV20.5
BrandBehr
NumberN210-5
UndertoneRed
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessDark
Hardwick White
Farrow & Ball · 5
Hex#b5afa0
LRV43.7
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number5
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessMedium

Caffeine vs Hardwick White Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Caffeine on one side and Hardwick White 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 Caffeine comparisons

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

White Dove
Caffeine
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Caffeine
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
Caffeine
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Caffeine reads noticeably lighter

Purbeck Stone
Caffeine
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone is the lighter choice

Evergreen Fog
Caffeine
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Evergreen Fog reads slightly lighter

Mizzle
Caffeine
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle is the lighter choice

Agreeable Gray
Caffeine
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray is the lighter choice

Accessible Beige
Caffeine
Accessible Beige
Sherwin-Williams
Accessible Beige
LRV 58

Accessible Beige is the lighter choice

Denim Drift
Caffeine
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Denim Drift reads slightly lighter

French Gray
Caffeine
French Gray
Farrow & Ball
French Gray
LRV 43

French Gray reads noticeably lighter

Naval
Caffeine
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

Caffeine reads noticeably lighter

Tranquil Dawn
Caffeine
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn is the lighter choice

Bancha
Caffeine
Bancha
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

Caffeine reads slightly lighter

Pure White
Caffeine
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams
Pure White
LRV 84

Pure White is the lighter choice

Artichoke
Caffeine
Artichoke
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

Nearly identical in tone

Balboa Mist
Caffeine
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Shoji White
Caffeine
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams
Shoji White
LRV 74

Shoji White is the lighter choice

Snowbound
Caffeine
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound is the lighter choice

Pewter Green
Caffeine
Pewter Green
Sherwin-Williams
Pewter Green
LRV 12

Caffeine reads slightly lighter

Skimming Stone
Caffeine
Skimming Stone
Farrow & Ball
Skimming Stone
LRV 68

Skimming Stone is the lighter choice

Dix Blue
Caffeine
Dix Blue
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

Dix Blue reads noticeably lighter

Calamine
Caffeine
Calamine
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68

Calamine is the lighter choice

Treron
Caffeine
Treron
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25

Treron reads slightly lighter

Vintage Vogue
Caffeine
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Caffeine reads slightly lighter

Saybrook Sage
Caffeine
Saybrook Sage
Benjamin Moore
Saybrook Sage
LRV 45

Saybrook Sage is the lighter choice

Pale Green
Caffeine
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Pale Green reads slightly lighter

Pine Needle
Caffeine
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Caffeine reads noticeably lighter

Cement grey
Caffeine
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Cement grey reads slightly lighter

Guilford Green
Caffeine
Guilford Green
Benjamin Moore
Guilford Green
LRV 57

Guilford Green is the lighter choice

Just Walnut
Caffeine
Just Walnut
Dulux
Just Walnut
LRV 72

Just Walnut is the lighter choice