Nocturnal Gray vs Hicks' Blue
Where Nocturnal Gray belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Hicks' Blue is a Little Greene color. Hue-wise, Nocturnal Gray belongs to the blue-grey family and Hicks' Blue to the blue family. Nocturnal Gray has an LRV of 14. Both lean blue, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. The ΔE 8.0 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Nocturnal Gray vs Hicks' Blue in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Nocturnal Gray and Hicks' Blue are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
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. 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.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. 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.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Color Details
Nocturnal Gray vs Hicks' Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Nocturnal 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 Nocturnal Gray comparisons
See how Nocturnal Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 14, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 14), opening up a space where Nocturnal Gray encloses it.
Nocturnal Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 14 vs 6), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 14, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 14, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 14), opening up a space where Nocturnal Gray encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 14, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 14), opening up a space where Nocturnal Gray encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 14), opening up a space where Nocturnal Gray encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 14, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (14 vs 4) makes Nocturnal Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 14), opening up a space where Nocturnal Gray encloses it.
With LRVs of 14 and 13, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 14), opening up a space where Nocturnal Gray encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 14, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (21 vs 14) makes Artichoke the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 14), opening up a space where Nocturnal Gray encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 14), opening up a space where Nocturnal Gray encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 14), opening up a space where Nocturnal Gray encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 14, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 14 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Nocturnal Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 14 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 14), opening up a space where Nocturnal Gray encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 14, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 14 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 14), opening up a space where Nocturnal Gray encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 14, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (14 vs 7) makes Nocturnal Gray the marginally brighter of the two.