Hardwick White vs Dried Thyme
Where Hardwick White belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Dried Thyme is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Hardwick White belongs to the greige-grey family and Dried Thyme to the grey family. Hardwick White (LRV 44) reflects noticeably more light than Dried Thyme (LRV 21), a difference of 23 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Hardwick White runs warm while Dried Thyme is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 19.3, 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 9 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Hardwick White vs Dried Thyme in Real Spaces
9 real rooms side by side. Seeing Hardwick White and Dried Thyme 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 LRV gap is large enough that Hardwick White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Dried Thyme would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Hardwick White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dried Thyme.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Hardwick White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dried Thyme.
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. Hardwick White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Hardwick White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dried Thyme.
Mudroom
Mudrooms are seen in passing, often under whatever light comes through the door — a context that favors colors with some depth. Hardwick White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Hardwick White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dried Thyme.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Hardwick White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Dried Thyme would.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Hardwick White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dried Thyme.
Color Details
Hardwick White vs Dried Thyme Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Hardwick White on one side and Dried Thyme 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 Hardwick White comparisons
See how Hardwick White stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 44, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
A 8-point LRV gap (52 vs 44) makes Purbeck Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 44 vs 30, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 44), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 60 vs 44, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 44 vs 43), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 44 vs 4, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 44), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 44, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 21, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
A 7-point LRV gap (51 vs 44) makes Pigeon the marginally brighter of the two.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 44 vs 41), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
With LRVs of 45 and 44, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 44 vs 31, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 7, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.