Matrix vs Hicks' Blue
Matrix (Jotun) and Hicks' Blue (Little Greene) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Matrix belongs to the grey family and Hicks' Blue to the blue family. Matrix has an LRV of 20. Where Matrix leans neutral, Hicks' Blue reads blue — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 19.8 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Matrix vs Hicks' Blue in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Matrix 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
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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Color Details
Matrix vs Hicks' Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Matrix 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 Matrix comparisons
See how Matrix stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 20), opening up a space where Matrix encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 20, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (30 vs 20) makes Evergreen Fog the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 60 vs 20, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 20), opening up a space where Matrix encloses it.
Denim Drift reads slightly lighter (LRV 27 vs 20), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 20, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 20), opening up a space where Matrix encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 20), opening up a space where Matrix encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 20, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 20), opening up a space where Matrix encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 20), opening up a space where Matrix encloses it.
Matrix reads slightly lighter (LRV 20 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Matrix reads slightly lighter (LRV 20 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 20), opening up a space where Matrix encloses it.
Matrix reads slightly lighter (LRV 20 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 20), opening up a space where Matrix encloses it.
A 12-point LRV gap (31 vs 20) makes Pale Green the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 20 vs 7, Matrix is decisively the brighter choice.