Athens Blue vs Hicks' Blue

Athens BlueBenjamin MoorevsHicks' BlueLittle GreeneΔE 26.6Very different colors

Athens Blue is a Benjamin Moore color while Hicks' Blue comes from Little Greene. These are both blues, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue to land. Athens Blue has an LRV of 19. They share a blue quality — useful to know if you're layering them in the same space. At ΔE 26.6, 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 Hicks' Blue in Real Spaces

2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Athens Blue and Hicks' Blue 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. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.

Athens BlueAthens Blue bathroom vanity color

@stillevansongrove

Hicks' BlueLittle Greene Hicks' Blue 208 bathroom

@mattwillisinteriors

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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.

Athens BlueAthens Blue front door review

@collectedid

Hicks' BlueLittle Greene Hicks' Blue 208 front door

@kirstieshouse

Color Details

Athens Blue
Benjamin Moore · 797
LRV18.7
BrandBenjamin Moore
Number797
UndertoneBlue
TemperatureCool
BrightnessDark
Hicks' Blue
Little Greene · 208
LRV
BrandLittle Greene
Number208
UndertoneBlue
Temperature
Brightness

Athens Blue vs Hicks' Blue Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Athens Blue on one side and Hicks' Blue 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 Athens Blue comparisons

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

Athens Blue
Ammonite
Athens Blue
Ammonite
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

At LRV 69 vs 19, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.

Athens Blue
White Dove
Athens Blue
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19

White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.

Athens Blue
Iron Ore
Athens Blue
Iron Ore
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19

Athens Blue reflects far more light (LRV 19 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.

Athens Blue
Purbeck Stone
Athens Blue
Purbeck Stone
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19

At LRV 52 vs 19, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.

Athens Blue
Evergreen Fog
Athens Blue
Evergreen Fog
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19

A 12-point LRV gap (30 vs 19) makes Evergreen Fog the marginally brighter of the two.

Athens Blue
Mizzle
Athens Blue
Mizzle
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.

Athens Blue
Agreeable Gray
Athens Blue
Agreeable Gray
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19

At LRV 60 vs 19, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Athens Blue
Accessible Beige
Athens Blue
Accessible Beige
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19

Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.

Athens Blue
Denim Drift
Athens Blue
Denim Drift
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19

Denim Drift reads slightly lighter (LRV 27 vs 19), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Athens Blue
French Gray
Athens Blue
French Gray
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19

At LRV 43 vs 19, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Athens Blue
Naval
Athens Blue
Naval
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

At LRV 19 vs 4, Athens Blue is decisively the brighter choice.

Athens Blue
Tranquil Dawn
Athens Blue
Tranquil Dawn
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19

Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.

Athens Blue
Bancha
Athens Blue
Bancha
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

Athens Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 19 vs 13), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Athens Blue
Hardwick White
Athens Blue
Hardwick White
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19

Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.

Athens Blue
Pure White
Athens Blue
Pure White
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19

At LRV 84 vs 19, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.

Athens Blue
Artichoke
Athens Blue
Artichoke
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 21 vs 19), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Athens Blue
Balboa Mist
Athens Blue
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19

Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.

Athens Blue
Shoji White
Athens Blue
Shoji White
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19

Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.

Athens Blue
Snowbound
Athens Blue
Snowbound
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.

Athens Blue
Pigeon
Athens Blue
Pigeon
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19
Farrow & Ball
Pigeon
LRV 51

At LRV 51 vs 19, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.

Athens Blue
Pewter Green
Athens Blue
Pewter Green
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19

Athens Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 19 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Athens Blue
Duck Green
Athens Blue
Duck Green
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19

Athens Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 19 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Athens Blue
Skimming Stone
Athens Blue
Skimming Stone
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19

Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.

Athens Blue
Dix Blue
Athens Blue
Dix Blue
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

At LRV 41 vs 19, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.

Athens Blue
Slaked Lime Deep
Athens Blue
Slaked Lime Deep

Athens Blue vs Slaked Lime Deep

Athens Blue
Vintage Vogue
Athens Blue
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19

Athens Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 19 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Athens Blue
Livid
Athens Blue
Livid
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19

Athens Blue vs Livid

Athens Blue
Saybrook Sage
Athens Blue
Saybrook Sage
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19

Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 19), opening up a space where Athens Blue encloses it.

Athens Blue
Pale Green
Athens Blue
Pale Green
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

At LRV 31 vs 19, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.

Athens Blue
Pine Needle
Athens Blue
Pine Needle
Benjamin Moore
Athens Blue
797 · LRV 19

A 12-point LRV gap (19 vs 7) makes Athens Blue the marginally brighter of the two.