Hamilton Blue vs Lead Gray
Both from Benjamin Moore's palette. Both sit in the blue-grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Hamilton Blue (LRV 18) reflects noticeably more light than Lead Gray (LRV 9), a difference of 9 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean blue, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. With a ΔE of 16.5, 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 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Hamilton Blue vs Lead Gray in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Hamilton Blue and Lead Gray 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 Hamilton Blue will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Lead Gray would.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Hamilton Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Lead Gray.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Hamilton Blue will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Lead Gray would.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Hamilton Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Lead Gray.
Color Details
Hamilton Blue vs Lead Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Hamilton Blue on one side and Lead Gray 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 Hamilton Blue comparisons
See how Hamilton Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
