Whirlybird vs Hicks' Blue
Whirlybird (Farrow & Ball) and Hicks' Blue (Little Greene) come from different manufacturers. Whirlybird reads as green, while Hicks' Blue reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Whirlybird has an LRV of 46. Where Whirlybird leans neutral, Hicks' Blue reads blue — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 44.9 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Whirlybird vs Hicks' Blue in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Whirlybird 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.
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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Color Details
Whirlybird vs Hicks' Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Whirlybird 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 Whirlybird comparisons
See how Whirlybird stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 46), opening up a space where Whirlybird encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 46, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 46 vs 6, Whirlybird is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 46), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Whirlybird reflects far more light (LRV 46 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (52 vs 46) makes Mizzle the marginally brighter of the two.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 46), opening up a space where Whirlybird encloses it.
A 11-point LRV gap (58 vs 46) makes Accessible Beige the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 46 vs 27, Whirlybird is decisively the brighter choice.
Whirlybird reads slightly lighter (LRV 46 vs 43), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Whirlybird reflects far more light (LRV 46 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
A 9-point LRV gap (55 vs 46) makes Tranquil Dawn the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 46 vs 13, Whirlybird is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 46 vs 44), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 46), opening up a space where Whirlybird encloses it.
Whirlybird reflects far more light (LRV 46 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 46, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 46, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 46, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reads slightly lighter (LRV 51 vs 46), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 46 vs 12, Whirlybird is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 46 vs 8, Whirlybird is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 46, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Whirlybird reads slightly lighter (LRV 46 vs 41), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 46 vs 12, Whirlybird is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 46 vs 45), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Whirlybird reflects far more light (LRV 46 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Whirlybird reflects far more light (LRV 46 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.