Millstone Gray vs Hicks' Blue
Millstone Gray (Benjamin Moore) and Hicks' Blue (Little Greene) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Millstone Gray belongs to the grey family and Hicks' Blue to the blue family. Millstone Gray has an LRV of 17. Where Millstone Gray leans green, Hicks' Blue reads blue — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 17.8 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Millstone Gray vs Hicks' Blue in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Millstone Gray 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.
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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Color Details
Millstone Gray vs Hicks' Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Millstone Gray on one side and Hicks' Blue 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 Millstone Gray comparisons
See how Millstone Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 17), opening up a space where Millstone Gray encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 17, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (17 vs 6) makes Millstone Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 17), opening up a space where Millstone Gray encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 17), opening up a space where Millstone Gray encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 17, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 17), opening up a space where Millstone Gray encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 17, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (27 vs 17) makes Denim Drift the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 17), opening up a space where Millstone Gray encloses it.
Millstone Gray reflects far more light (LRV 17 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 17, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (17 vs 13) makes Millstone Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 44 vs 17, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 17), opening up a space where Millstone Gray encloses it.
Artichoke reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 17), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 17, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 17, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 17, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 17), opening up a space where Millstone Gray encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (17 vs 12) makes Millstone Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
A 9-point LRV gap (17 vs 8) makes Millstone Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 17, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 17), opening up a space where Millstone Gray encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (17 vs 12) makes Millstone Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 17, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 17), opening up a space where Millstone Gray encloses it.
Millstone Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 17 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.