Coastal Grey vs Hardwick White
Coastal Grey (Dulux) and Hardwick White (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Coastal Grey belongs to the blue-grey family and Hardwick White to the greige-grey family. The 12-point LRV gap — 56 for Coastal Grey vs 44 for Hardwick White — means Coastal Grey will open up a space more effectively. Where Coastal Grey leans cool, Hardwick White reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 15.3 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.
Coastal Grey vs Hardwick White in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Coastal Grey 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. Coastal Grey reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Hardwick White.
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. Coastal Grey 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. Coastal Grey returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Coastal Grey vs Hardwick White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Coastal Grey 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 Coastal Grey comparisons
See how Coastal Grey stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 56, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 56), opening up a space where Coastal Grey encloses it.
Coastal Grey reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
A 4-point LRV gap (56 vs 52) makes Coastal Grey the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 56 vs 30, Coastal Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
Coastal Grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 56 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 4-point LRV gap (60 vs 56) makes Agreeable Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
With LRVs of 58 and 56, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Coastal Grey reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 56 vs 43, Coastal Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 56 vs 4, Coastal Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 56 and 55, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Coastal Grey reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 56, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 56 vs 21, Coastal Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter (LRV 66 vs 56), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 56), opening up a space where Coastal Grey encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 56), opening up a space where Coastal Grey encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (56 vs 51) makes Coastal Grey the marginally brighter of the two.
Coastal Grey reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Coastal Grey reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 56), opening up a space where Coastal Grey encloses it.
At LRV 56 vs 41, Coastal Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
Coastal Grey reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Coastal Grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 56 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 56 vs 31, Coastal Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 56 vs 7, Coastal Grey is decisively the brighter choice.