Always Neutral vs Hardwick White
Where Always Neutral belongs to Cloverdale Paint's range, Hardwick White is a Farrow & Ball color. Hue-wise, Always Neutral belongs to the beige-greige family and Hardwick White to the greige-grey family. Always Neutral (LRV 69) reflects noticeably more light than Hardwick White (LRV 44), a difference of 25 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 14.4, 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 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Always Neutral vs Hardwick White in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Always Neutral and Hardwick White 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 Always Neutral will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Hardwick White would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Always Neutral reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Hardwick White.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Always Neutral reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Hardwick White.
Dining Room
A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. Always Neutral returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Always Neutral reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Hardwick White.
Color Details
Always Neutral vs Hardwick White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Always Neutral on one side and Hardwick White 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 Always Neutral comparisons
See how Always Neutral stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
With LRVs of 69 and 69, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 83 vs 69, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 69 vs 6, Always Neutral is decisively the brighter choice.
Always Neutral reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Always Neutral reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 52, Always Neutral is decisively the brighter choice.
Always Neutral reads slightly lighter (LRV 69 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 11-point LRV gap (69 vs 58) makes Always Neutral the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 69 vs 27, Always Neutral is decisively the brighter choice.
Always Neutral reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
Always Neutral reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 55, Always Neutral is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 69 vs 13, Always Neutral is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 69), opening up a space where Always Neutral encloses it.
Always Neutral reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
A 3-point LRV gap (69 vs 66) makes Always Neutral the marginally brighter of the two.
A 5-point LRV gap (74 vs 69) makes Shoji White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 83 vs 69, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Always Neutral reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 51), opening up a space where Pigeon encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 12, Always Neutral is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 69 vs 8, Always Neutral is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 69 vs 68), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Always Neutral reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 12, Always Neutral is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 69 vs 45, Always Neutral is decisively the brighter choice.
Always Neutral reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Always Neutral reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.