Wickham Gray → Farrow & Ball
The closest Farrow & Ball matches for Benjamin Moore Wickham Gray (HC-171), ranked by perceptual color distance.
Finding a Farrow & Ball Equivalent for Wickham Gray
If you love Benjamin Moore Wickham Gray but need a Farrow & Ball alternative, you are not alone. This is one of the most common cross-brand paint matching searches, whether you are working with a painter who prefers Farrow & Ball, your local store does not carry Benjamin Moore, or you simply want to compare prices across brands before committing.
Wickham Gray (HC-171) is a light blue with cool blue-gray undertones. A light blue-gray with a soft, calming quality. More blue than Stonington Gray, more gray than a true blue. A popular nursery and bathroom color. To find a good Farrow & Ball match, we need a color that captures not just the right depth (LRV 62.67) but also that specific undertone character. That is where Delta E color science comes in.
We calculated the perceptual color distance between Wickham Gray and every Farrow & Ball color using the CIE2000 Delta E formula, which measures how different two colors look to the human eye. A Delta E under 2 means most people cannot tell the colors apart. Between 2 and 4, you might notice a difference in certain lighting. Above 5, the difference is clearly visible side by side.
The results are decent but not perfect. The closest Farrow & Ball option is Cromarty (No.285) with a Delta E of 3.9, which is a "good match" level match. Cromarty is the closest Farrow & Ball option at LRV 60. Similar character with F&B's chalky complexity, though some difference is visible. You will want to test a sample before committing, as the difference may be noticeable in certain lighting.
Farrow & Ball Matches for Wickham Gray
Cromarty is the closest Farrow & Ball option at LRV 60. Similar character with F&B's chalky complexity, though some difference is visible.
| Wickham Gray | Cromarty | |
|---|---|---|
| LRV | 62.67 | 60 |
| Hex | #C7D2D5 | #CDD5CD |
| Undertone | Cool Blue-Gray | Soft Green |
| Family | Blue | Green |
Undertone Comparison
Wickham Gray has cool blue-gray undertones. A light blue-gray with a soft, calming quality. More blue than Stonington Gray, more gray than a true blue. A popular nursery and bathroom color.
Cromarty has soft green undertones. A light, fresh green-gray named for the Scottish firth. Clean and calming.
The undertone difference is worth paying attention to. While they are close in overall appearance, the different undertones mean they may diverge in certain lighting. Wickham Gray's cool blue-gray quality may read differently than Cromarty's soft green character, especially in rooms with strong directional light or colored accents that could pull out one undertone more than the other. Test a sample in your specific room before committing.
How These Colors Behave in Different Lighting
Wickham Gray in Your Room
The blue is most pronounced in bright natural light. In warm artificial light, it reads as a soft cool gray. A versatile, calming color.
Cromarty in Your Room
The green is soft and pleasant. In cool rooms, it reads as a green-tinged gray. In warm rooms, more purely green.
LRV and Brightness
Wickham Gray has an LRV of 62.67, while Cromarty has an LRV of 60. These two colors reflect a very similar amount of light, so you should not notice a significant difference in room brightness when switching between them. The room will feel approximately the same in terms of light and space, which makes this a smoother transition.
Best Rooms for Wickham Gray
Benjamin Moore recommends Wickham Gray for: bathroom, bedroom, nursery, laundry room, hallway. With an LRV of 62.67, this is a light color that is in the medium-light range, reflecting enough light to keep rooms feeling open while adding more color and depth than a white or off-white. It works well in living rooms, bedrooms, and hallways where you want warmth and character without darkness.
Cromarty is recommended for: bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, nursery, hallway. Both colors are recommended for similar applications, which confirms that this is a practical cross-brand match. You can use Cromarty in the same rooms you planned for Wickham Gray.
Wickham Gray in Other Brands
Looking for Wickham Gray equivalents in other brands besides Farrow & Ball? We have matches across all major paint brands.
Frequently Asked Questions
The closest Farrow & Ball match for Wickham Gray (HC-171) is Cromarty (No.285) with a Delta E of 3.9, which rates as a "good match" match. Cromarty is the closest Farrow & Ball option at LRV 60. Similar character with F&B's chalky complexity, though some difference is visible. Delta E measures perceptual color distance on a scale where under 2 means nearly identical, 2 to 4 means close with subtle differences, and over 5 means clearly noticeable.
No, they are not identical. Wickham Gray is a Benjamin Moore color with cool blue-gray undertones and an LRV of 62.67. Cromarty is a Farrow & Ball color with soft green undertones and an LRV of 60. With a Delta E of 3.9, the difference is subtle and mainly visible in direct side-by-side comparison. Paint formulations differ between brands, so even colors with similar values can look slightly different due to pigment concentration, binders, and finish.
With a Delta E of 3.9, the difference is enough that they should not be used on adjacent walls in the same room. You can use them in separate rooms of the same house, but be aware that walking from one room to the other may reveal the difference, especially if the rooms have similar lighting. For the most consistent look, pick one brand for all connected living spaces and reserve the other brand for visually separate rooms like bathrooms or bedrooms behind closed doors.
There are several practical reasons to look for a Farrow & Ball equivalent. Price differences between brands can be significant on large projects. Availability matters if your nearest paint store or home center specializes in Farrow & Ball. Some painters have strong preferences for one brand's formula based on coverage, dry time, or workability. And if you are touching up existing Farrow & Ball work, matching within the same brand gives you the best consistency for seamless results.
Match calculations use Delta E (CIE2000) computed from Lab color space conversion. Color data sourced from manufacturer specifications. Last reviewed: March 22, 2026.