Venetian Crystal 2 vs Hardwick White
Venetian Crystal 2 (Dulux) and Hardwick White (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Venetian Crystal 2 belongs to the blue family and Hardwick White to the greige-grey family. The 35-point LRV gap — 44 for Hardwick White vs 9 for Venetian Crystal 2 — means Hardwick White will open up a space more effectively. Where Venetian Crystal 2 leans cool, Hardwick White reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 51.8 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Venetian Crystal 2 vs Hardwick White in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Venetian Crystal 2 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.
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. Hardwick White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Hardwick White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Venetian Crystal 2 vs Hardwick White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Venetian Crystal 2 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 Venetian Crystal 2 comparisons
See how Venetian Crystal 2 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 9), opening up a space where Venetian Crystal 2 encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 9, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
A 3-point LRV gap (9 vs 6) makes Venetian Crystal 2 the marginally brighter of the two.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 9), opening up a space where Venetian Crystal 2 encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 9), opening up a space where Venetian Crystal 2 encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 9, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 9), opening up a space where Venetian Crystal 2 encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 9, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 9, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 9), opening up a space where Venetian Crystal 2 encloses it.
Venetian Crystal 2 reads slightly lighter (LRV 9 vs 4), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 9, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (13 vs 9) makes Bancha the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 9), opening up a space where Venetian Crystal 2 encloses it.
Artichoke reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 9), opening up a space where Venetian Crystal 2 encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 9, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 9, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 9, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 9), opening up a space where Venetian Crystal 2 encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 9), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 9 vs 8), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 9, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 9), opening up a space where Venetian Crystal 2 encloses it.
Venetian Crystal 2 vs Slaked Lime Deep
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 9), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 45 vs 9, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 9), opening up a space where Venetian Crystal 2 encloses it.
With LRVs of 9 and 7, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.