Athens Blue vs Hardwick White
Athens Blue is a Benjamin Moore color while Hardwick White comes from Farrow & Ball. Hue-wise, Athens Blue belongs to the blue family and Hardwick White to the greige-grey family. At LRV 44 vs 19, Hardwick White will read as the brighter of the two — a 25-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. The tonal difference — Athens Blue's blue character against Hardwick White's warm — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 49.9, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Athens Blue vs Hardwick White in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Athens Blue 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.
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 Hardwick White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Athens Blue would.
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. 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
Athens Blue vs Hardwick White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Athens Blue 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 Athens Blue comparisons
See how Athens Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 19, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
Athens Blue reflects far more light (LRV 19 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 19, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 12-point LRV gap (30 vs 19) makes Evergreen Fog the marginally brighter of the two.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 19, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.
Denim Drift reads slightly lighter (LRV 27 vs 19), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 19, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 19 vs 4, Athens Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.
Athens Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 19 vs 13), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 19, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 21 vs 19), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.
Athens Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 19 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 19, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 19, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (25 vs 19) makes Treron the marginally brighter of the two.
Athens Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 19 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 19, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
A 12-point LRV gap (19 vs 7) makes Athens Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
A 5-point LRV gap (24 vs 19) makes Cement grey the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 57 vs 19, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 19, Just Walnut is decisively the brighter choice.