New Hope Gray vs Calamine
New Hope Gray (Benjamin Moore) and Calamine (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, New Hope Gray belongs to the blue-grey family and Calamine to the pink-red family. The 28-point LRV gap — 68 for Calamine vs 39 for New Hope Gray — means Calamine will open up a space more effectively. Where New Hope Gray leans blue, Calamine reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 22.8 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
New Hope Gray vs Calamine in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing New Hope Gray and Calamine 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. Calamine reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than New Hope Gray.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Calamine returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Calamine 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. Calamine reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than New Hope Gray.
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. Calamine returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
New Hope Gray vs Calamine Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see New Hope Gray on one side and Calamine 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 New Hope Gray comparisons
See how New Hope Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
