Buttermilk vs Hardwick White
Buttermilk (Dulux) and Hardwick White (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Buttermilk reads as beige, while Hardwick White reads as greige-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 33-point LRV gap — 77 for Buttermilk vs 44 for Hardwick White — means Buttermilk will open up a space more effectively. Both share a warm character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. A ΔE of 20.8 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Buttermilk vs Hardwick White in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Buttermilk 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. Buttermilk reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Hardwick White.
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. Buttermilk returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Buttermilk returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Buttermilk vs Hardwick White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Buttermilk 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 Buttermilk comparisons
See how Buttermilk stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
