Down Pipe vs Hicks' Blue
Down Pipe is a Farrow & Ball color while Hicks' Blue comes from Little Greene. Hue-wise, Down Pipe belongs to the grey family and Hicks' Blue to the blue family. Down Pipe has an LRV of 13. The tonal difference — Down Pipe's neutral character against Hicks' Blue's blue — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 13.9, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Down Pipe vs Hicks' Blue in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Down Pipe 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
Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Front Door
Front doors are seen in isolation against the rest of the facade, which makes them a high-stakes surface where even subtle differences matter. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Color Details
Down Pipe vs Hicks' Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Down Pipe 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 Down Pipe comparisons
See how Down Pipe stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 13), opening up a space where Down Pipe encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 13, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 13, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 13, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 13), opening up a space where Down Pipe encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 13), opening up a space where Down Pipe encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 13, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 13), opening up a space where Down Pipe encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 13), opening up a space where Down Pipe encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 13, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 13), opening up a space where Down Pipe encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 13), opening up a space where Down Pipe encloses it.
With LRVs of 13 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Down Pipe reads slightly lighter (LRV 13 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 13), opening up a space where Down Pipe encloses it.
With LRVs of 13 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 13), opening up a space where Down Pipe encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 13, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (13 vs 7) makes Down Pipe the marginally brighter of the two.