Hinting Blue vs Spun Sugar
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hinting Blue reads as blue, while Spun Sugar reads as beige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (68 vs 68), so they'll read as similarly Light in most lighting conditions. Hinting Blue runs cool while Spun Sugar is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 18.3, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Hinting Blue vs Spun Sugar in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Hinting Blue and Spun Sugar 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 Spun Sugar and Hinting Blue is what sets these apart most in this context.
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. Spun Sugar brings more warmth to the space, while Hinting Blue keeps things cooler and crisper.
Color Details
Hinting Blue vs Spun Sugar Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Hinting Blue on one side and Spun Sugar 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 Hinting Blue comparisons
See how Hinting Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 68, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 69 and 68, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 68 vs 6, Hinting Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Hinting Blue reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Hinting Blue reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
At LRV 68 vs 52, Hinting Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Hinting Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 68 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 10-point LRV gap (68 vs 58) makes Hinting Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 27, Hinting Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Hinting Blue reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
Hinting Blue reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 68 vs 55, Hinting Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 13, Hinting Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 44, Hinting Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 68), opening up a space where Hinting Blue encloses it.
Hinting Blue reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 68 vs 66), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 7-point LRV gap (74 vs 68) makes Shoji White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 83 vs 68, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 12, Hinting Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 68 vs 68), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Hinting Blue reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
With LRVs of 68 and 68, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Hinting Blue reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 25), opening up a space where Treron encloses it.
At LRV 68 vs 12, Hinting Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 45, Hinting Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Hinting Blue reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Hinting Blue reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Hinting Blue reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Hinting Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 68 vs 57), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.