Blackened vs Hicks' Blue
Blackened is a Farrow & Ball color while Hicks' Blue comes from Little Greene. Blackened reads as grey, while Hicks' Blue reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Blackened has an LRV of 71. The tonal difference — Blackened's neutral character against Hicks' Blue's blue — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 52.8, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Blackened vs Hicks' Blue in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Blackened 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.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. 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
Blackened vs Hicks' Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Blackened 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 Blackened comparisons
See how Blackened stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 71), opening up a space where Blackened encloses it.
At LRV 71 vs 52, Blackened is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 71 vs 30, Blackened is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (71 vs 60) makes Blackened the marginally brighter of the two.
Blackened reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 58), opening up a space where Accessible Beige encloses it.
Blackened reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 71 vs 43, Blackened is decisively the brighter choice.
Blackened reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 55), opening up a space where Tranquil Dawn encloses it.
Blackened reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 71, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Blackened reads slightly lighter (LRV 71 vs 66), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Shoji White reads slightly lighter (LRV 74 vs 71), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Blackened reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Blackened reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
With LRVs of 71 and 68, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Blackened reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Blackened reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 71 vs 31, Blackened is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 71 vs 7, Blackened is decisively the brighter choice.