Smoke Grey vs Hicks' Blue
Smoke Grey is a Dulux color while Hicks' Blue comes from Little Greene. Hue-wise, Smoke Grey belongs to the blue-grey family and Hicks' Blue to the blue family. Smoke Grey has an LRV of 30. The tonal difference — Smoke Grey's cool character against Hicks' Blue's blue — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 24.1, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Smoke Grey vs Hicks' Blue in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Smoke Grey 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
Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Kitchen Cabinets
On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Color Details
Smoke Grey vs Hicks' Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Smoke Grey 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 Smoke Grey comparisons
See how Smoke Grey stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 30, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 30), opening up a space where Smoke Grey encloses it.
Smoke Grey reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 30, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 30 vs 30), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 30), opening up a space where Smoke Grey encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 30, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 30), opening up a space where Smoke Grey encloses it.
Smoke Grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 30 vs 27), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 30, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 4, Smoke Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 30), opening up a space where Smoke Grey encloses it.
Smoke Grey reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 30), opening up a space where Smoke Grey encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 30, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (30 vs 21) makes Smoke Grey the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 30), opening up a space where Smoke Grey encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 30), opening up a space where Smoke Grey encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 30), opening up a space where Smoke Grey encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 30, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
Smoke Grey reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Smoke Grey reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 30), opening up a space where Smoke Grey encloses it.
A 11-point LRV gap (41 vs 30) makes Dix Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
Smoke Grey reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 30), opening up a space where Smoke Grey encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 31 vs 30), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 30 vs 7, Smoke Grey is decisively the brighter choice.