Hinting Blue vs Truly Taupe
Hinting Blue and Truly Taupe come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Hue-wise, Hinting Blue belongs to the blue family and Truly Taupe to the greige-grey family. The 32-point LRV gap — 68 for Hinting Blue vs 35 for Truly Taupe — means Hinting Blue will open up a space more effectively. Where Hinting Blue leans cool, Truly Taupe reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 22.8 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Hinting Blue vs Truly Taupe in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Hinting Blue and Truly Taupe 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. Hinting Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Truly Taupe.
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 returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Hinting Blue vs Truly Taupe Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Hinting Blue on one side and Truly Taupe 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.