Red Earth vs Hicks' Blue
Red Earth (Farrow & Ball) and Hicks' Blue (Little Greene) come from different manufacturers. Red Earth reads as pink-red, while Hicks' Blue reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Red Earth has an LRV of 28. Where Red Earth leans warm, Hicks' Blue reads blue — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 51.9 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Red Earth vs Hicks' Blue in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Red Earth 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
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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Color Details
Red Earth vs Hicks' Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Red Earth 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 Red Earth comparisons
See how Red Earth stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 28, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 28), opening up a space where Red Earth encloses it.
With LRVs of 30 and 28, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 28), opening up a space where Red Earth encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 28, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 28 vs 27), so neither reads brighter in a room.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 28), opening up a space where Red Earth encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 28, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 28, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 28), opening up a space where Red Earth encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 28, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 28, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 28 vs 12, Red Earth is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 28 vs 8, Red Earth is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 28, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 28 vs 12, Red Earth is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 28, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 28), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Red Earth reflects far more light (LRV 28 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.