Buttermilk vs Hicks' Blue
Buttermilk (Dulux) and Hicks' Blue (Little Greene) come from different manufacturers. Buttermilk reads as beige, while Hicks' Blue reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Buttermilk has an LRV of 77. Where Buttermilk leans warm, Hicks' Blue reads blue — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 61.4 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 Hicks' Blue in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Buttermilk and Hicks' Blue 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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Color Details
Buttermilk vs Hicks' Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Buttermilk 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 Buttermilk comparisons
See how Buttermilk stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
A 8-point LRV gap (77 vs 69) makes Buttermilk the marginally brighter of the two.
White Dove reads slightly lighter (LRV 83 vs 77), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 77 vs 52, Buttermilk is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 77 vs 30, Buttermilk is decisively the brighter choice.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 52), opening up a space where Mizzle encloses it.
At LRV 77 vs 60, Buttermilk is decisively the brighter choice.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 58), opening up a space where Accessible Beige encloses it.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 77 vs 43, Buttermilk is decisively the brighter choice.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 55), opening up a space where Tranquil Dawn encloses it.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
A 7-point LRV gap (84 vs 77) makes Pure White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 77 vs 21, Buttermilk is decisively the brighter choice.
Buttermilk reads slightly lighter (LRV 77 vs 66), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
With LRVs of 77 and 74, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Snowbound reads slightly lighter (LRV 83 vs 77), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Buttermilk reads slightly lighter (LRV 77 vs 68), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 77 vs 41, Buttermilk is decisively the brighter choice.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 77 vs 31, Buttermilk is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 77 vs 7, Buttermilk is decisively the brighter choice.