Emu vs Hardwick White
Emu (Cloverdale Paint) and Hardwick White (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Emu belongs to the grey family and Hardwick White to the greige-grey family. The 26-point LRV gap — 44 for Hardwick White vs 18 for Emu — means Hardwick White will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 23.5 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.
Emu vs Hardwick White in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Emu 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
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. Hardwick White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Emu.
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. Hardwick White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Hardwick White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The LRV gap is large enough that Hardwick White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Emu would.
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. Hardwick White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Emu vs Hardwick White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Emu 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 Emu comparisons
See how Emu stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 18, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 18), opening up a space where Emu encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 18), opening up a space where Emu encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 18), opening up a space where Emu encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 18, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (27 vs 18) makes Denim Drift the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 18), opening up a space where Emu encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 18, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 18), opening up a space where Emu encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 18, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 18, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (18 vs 12) makes Emu the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 18, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (18 vs 12) makes Emu the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 18, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 18), opening up a space where Emu encloses it.
Emu reads slightly lighter (LRV 18 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Cement grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 24 vs 18), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 18), opening up a space where Emu encloses it.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 18), opening up a space where Emu encloses it.