Hague Blue vs Stiffkey Blue

Hague BlueFarrow & BallvsStiffkey BlueFarrow & BallΔE 7.1Noticeable difference

Hague Blue and Stiffkey Blue come from the same Farrow & Ball collection. Both sit in the blue family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. The 3-point LRV gap — 10 for Stiffkey Blue vs 7 for Hague Blue — means Stiffkey Blue will open up a space more effectively. Both share a cool character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. ΔE 7.1 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Hague Blue vs Stiffkey Blue in Real Spaces

6 real rooms side by side. Hague Blue and Stiffkey Blue are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.

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. Stiffkey Blue reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.

Hague BlueFarrow and Ball Hague Blue stylish living room

@cavershamdecorators

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 living room fireplace

@barnesandmoss

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. Stiffkey Blue has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.

Hague BlueFarrow and Ball Hague Blue stylish bedroom

@atelier.sandrine.guidon

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 bedroom

@riverapartment

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. Stiffkey Blue has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.

Hague BlueFarrow and Ball Hague Blue bathroom color review

@project_lu

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 bathroom

@stowflat

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. Stiffkey Blue has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.

Hague BlueFarrow and Ball Hague Blue exterior paint

@brambleandwild

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 exterior

@studiotoop

Front Door

On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. Stiffkey Blue reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.

Hague BlueHague Blue front door

@aaronhickton

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 front door

@the_burgess_group

Kitchen Cabinets

Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. Stiffkey Blue has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.

Hague BlueFarrow and Ball Hague Blue kitchen cabinets paint review

@woldsfurniturecompany

Stiffkey BlueFarrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue 281 kitchen cabinets

@themiddleterrace

Color Details

Hague Blue
Farrow & Ball · 30
Hex#3d4e57
LRV7.0
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number30
Undertone
TemperatureCool
BrightnessDark
Stiffkey Blue
Farrow & Ball · 281
Hex#4d5b6a
LRV10.0
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number281
Undertone
TemperatureCool
BrightnessDark

Hague Blue vs Stiffkey Blue Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Hague Blue on one side and Stiffkey Blue on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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 Hague Blue comparisons

See how Hague Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
Hague Blue
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Hague Blue
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
Hague Blue
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Nearly identical in tone

Purbeck Stone
Hague Blue
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone is the lighter choice

Evergreen Fog
Hague Blue
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Evergreen Fog reads noticeably lighter

Mizzle
Hague Blue
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle is the lighter choice

Agreeable Gray
Hague Blue
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray is the lighter choice

Accessible Beige
Hague Blue
Accessible Beige
Sherwin-Williams
Accessible Beige
LRV 58

Accessible Beige is the lighter choice

Denim Drift
Hague Blue
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Denim Drift reads noticeably lighter

French Gray
Hague Blue
French Gray
Farrow & Ball
French Gray
LRV 43

French Gray is the lighter choice

Naval
Hague Blue
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

Nearly identical in tone

Tranquil Dawn
Hague Blue
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn is the lighter choice

Bancha
Hague Blue
Bancha
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

Bancha reads slightly lighter

Hardwick White
Hague Blue
Hardwick White
Farrow & Ball
Hardwick White
LRV 44

Hardwick White is the lighter choice

Pure White
Hague Blue
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams
Pure White
LRV 84

Pure White is the lighter choice

Artichoke
Hague Blue
Artichoke
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

Artichoke reads noticeably lighter

Balboa Mist
Hague Blue
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Shoji White
Hague Blue
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams
Shoji White
LRV 74

Shoji White is the lighter choice

Snowbound
Hague Blue
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound is the lighter choice

Pewter Green
Hague Blue
Pewter Green
Sherwin-Williams
Pewter Green
LRV 12

Pewter Green reads slightly lighter

Skimming Stone
Hague Blue
Skimming Stone
Farrow & Ball
Skimming Stone
LRV 68

Skimming Stone is the lighter choice

Dix Blue
Hague Blue
Dix Blue
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

Dix Blue is the lighter choice

Calamine
Hague Blue
Calamine
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68

Calamine is the lighter choice

Treron
Hague Blue
Treron
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25

Treron reads noticeably lighter

Vintage Vogue
Hague Blue
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Vintage Vogue reads slightly lighter

Saybrook Sage
Hague Blue
Saybrook Sage
Benjamin Moore
Saybrook Sage
LRV 45

Saybrook Sage is the lighter choice

Pale Green
Hague Blue
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Pale Green reads noticeably lighter

Pine Needle
Hague Blue
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Nearly identical in tone

Cement grey
Hague Blue
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Cement grey reads noticeably lighter

Guilford Green
Hague Blue
Guilford Green
Benjamin Moore
Guilford Green
LRV 57

Guilford Green is the lighter choice