London Clay vs Hicks' Blue
London Clay is a Farrow & Ball color while Hicks' Blue comes from Little Greene. London Clay reads as grey, while Hicks' Blue reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. London Clay has an LRV of 15. The tonal difference — London Clay's warm character against Hicks' Blue's blue — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 21.7, 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.
London Clay vs Hicks' Blue in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing London Clay 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
London Clay vs Hicks' Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see London Clay 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 London Clay comparisons
See how London Clay stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 15), opening up a space where London Clay encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 15, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (15 vs 6) makes London Clay the marginally brighter of the two.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 15), opening up a space where London Clay encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 15), opening up a space where London Clay encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 15, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 15), opening up a space where London Clay encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 15, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 12-point LRV gap (27 vs 15) makes Denim Drift the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 15), opening up a space where London Clay encloses it.
London Clay reads slightly lighter (LRV 15 vs 4), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 15, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 15 vs 13), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 44 vs 15, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 15), opening up a space where London Clay encloses it.
Artichoke reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 15), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 15, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 15, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 15, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 15), opening up a space where London Clay encloses it.
A 4-point LRV gap (15 vs 12) makes London Clay the marginally brighter of the two.
A 7-point LRV gap (15 vs 8) makes London Clay the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 15, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 15), opening up a space where London Clay encloses it.
A 4-point LRV gap (15 vs 12) makes London Clay the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 15, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 15), opening up a space where London Clay encloses it.
London Clay reads slightly lighter (LRV 15 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.