Ocean Abyss vs Hardwick White
Ocean Abyss (Behr) and Hardwick White (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Ocean Abyss belongs to the blue family and Hardwick White to the greige-grey family. The 37-point LRV gap — 44 for Hardwick White vs 7 for Ocean Abyss — means Hardwick White will open up a space more effectively. Where Ocean Abyss leans blue, Hardwick White reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 43.1 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 8 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Ocean Abyss vs Hardwick White in Real Spaces
8 real rooms side by side. Seeing Ocean Abyss 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
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Hardwick White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Ocean Abyss.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Hardwick White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Hardwick White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The LRV gap is large enough that Hardwick White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Ocean Abyss would.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. Hardwick White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Hardwick White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Front Door
On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. Hardwick White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Ocean Abyss.
Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. Hardwick White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Ocean Abyss vs Hardwick White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Ocean Abyss on one side and Hardwick White 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 Ocean Abyss comparisons
See how Ocean Abyss stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 7, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 7), opening up a space where Ocean Abyss encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 7 vs 6), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 7), opening up a space where Ocean Abyss encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 7), opening up a space where Ocean Abyss encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 7, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 7), opening up a space where Ocean Abyss encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 7, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 7, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 7), opening up a space where Ocean Abyss encloses it.
With LRVs of 7 and 4, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 55 vs 7, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (13 vs 7) makes Bancha the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 7), opening up a space where Ocean Abyss encloses it.
Artichoke reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 7), opening up a space where Ocean Abyss encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 7, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 7, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 7, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (12 vs 7) makes Pewter Green the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 7, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 7), opening up a space where Ocean Abyss encloses it.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 7), opening up a space where Ocean Abyss encloses it.
Treron reflects far more light (LRV 25 vs 7), opening up a space where Ocean Abyss encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (12 vs 7) makes Vintage Vogue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 7, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 7), opening up a space where Ocean Abyss encloses it.
With LRVs of 7 and 7, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Cement grey reflects far more light (LRV 24 vs 7), opening up a space where Ocean Abyss encloses it.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 7), opening up a space where Ocean Abyss encloses it.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 7), opening up a space where Ocean Abyss encloses it.