Gesso vs Hardwick White
Where Gesso belongs to Cloverdale Paint's range, Hardwick White is a Farrow & Ball color. Gesso reads as beige, while Hardwick White reads as greige-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Gesso (LRV 78) reflects noticeably more light than Hardwick White (LRV 44), a difference of 35 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 19.4, 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.
Gesso vs Hardwick White in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Gesso 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 Gesso 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. Gesso 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. Gesso 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. Gesso 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. Gesso reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Hardwick White.
Color Details
Gesso vs Hardwick White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Gesso 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 Gesso comparisons
See how Gesso stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
A 5-point LRV gap (83 vs 78) makes White Dove the marginally brighter of the two.
Gesso reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Gesso reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Gesso reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 60), opening up a space where Agreeable Gray encloses it.
At LRV 78 vs 58, Gesso is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 78 vs 27, Gesso is decisively the brighter choice.
Gesso reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
At LRV 78 vs 55, Gesso is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reads slightly lighter (LRV 84 vs 78), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 78 vs 66, Gesso is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (78 vs 74) makes Gesso the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 78 vs 12, Gesso is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (78 vs 68) makes Gesso the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 78 vs 12, Gesso is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 78 vs 45, Gesso is decisively the brighter choice.
Gesso reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Gesso reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.