Blue Hill vs Cardinal
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Blue Hill reads as blue, while Cardinal reads as pink-red — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Cardinal (LRV 8) reflects noticeably more light than Blue Hill (LRV NaN), a difference of NaN points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Blue Hill runs cool while Cardinal is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 78.0, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Blue Hill vs Cardinal in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Blue Hill and Cardinal 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
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The temperature contrast between Cardinal and Blue Hill is what sets these apart most in this context.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Cardinal brings more warmth to the space, while Blue Hill keeps things cooler and crisper.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Cardinal brings more warmth to the space, while Blue Hill keeps things cooler and crisper.
Dining Room
A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. Blue Hill reads more restrained here, while Cardinal adds a sense of enclosure and warmth.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Cardinal brings more warmth to the space, while Blue Hill keeps things cooler and crisper.
Home Office
The test for a home office color isn't how it looks in a quick glance — it's whether it still feels right after a full day of work. Cardinal brings more warmth to the space, while Blue Hill keeps things cooler and crisper.
Mudroom
Mudrooms are seen in passing, often under whatever light comes through the door — a context that favors colors with some depth. Blue Hill reads more restrained here, while Cardinal adds a sense of enclosure and warmth.
Patio
Outside, paint color competes with sky, landscaping, and direct sun — all of which shift how both of these read compared to an indoor chip. Blue Hill reads more restrained here, while Cardinal adds a sense of enclosure and warmth.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Cardinal brings more warmth to the space, while Blue Hill keeps things cooler and crisper.
Color Details
Blue Hill vs Cardinal Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Blue Hill on one side and Cardinal 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.