Hinting Blue vs Tradewind
Hinting Blue and Tradewind come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Hue-wise, Hinting Blue belongs to the blue family and Tradewind to the blue-grey family. The 7-point LRV gap — 68 for Hinting Blue vs 61 for Tradewind — means Hinting Blue will open up a space more effectively. Both share a cool character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. ΔE 4.4 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Hinting Blue vs Tradewind in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Hinting Blue and Tradewind are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
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. Hinting Blue reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Hinting Blue has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
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. Hinting Blue has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Home Office
Home office walls matter more than most — you're looking at them all day, and a color that reads fine at first can become tiring over time. Hinting Blue has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Hinting Blue vs Tradewind Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Hinting Blue on one side and Tradewind 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.
With LRVs of 69 and 68, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 83 vs 68, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
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.
Hinting Blue reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 51), opening up a space where Pigeon encloses it.
At LRV 68 vs 12, Hinting Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 8, 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.
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.