Barren Plain vs Mizzle
Barren Plain (Benjamin Moore) and Mizzle (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Barren Plain belongs to the greige-grey family and Mizzle to the grey family. The 11-point LRV gap — 62 for Barren Plain vs 52 for Mizzle — means Barren Plain will open up a space more effectively. Where Barren Plain leans red, Mizzle reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. ΔE 7.3 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Barren Plain vs Mizzle in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Barren Plain and Mizzle are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
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. Barren Plain reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Mizzle.
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. Barren Plain returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Barren Plain returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The LRV gap is large enough that Barren Plain will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Mizzle would.
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. Barren Plain returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Barren Plain vs Mizzle Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Barren Plain on one side and Mizzle 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 Barren Plain comparisons
See how Barren Plain stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 62), opening up a space where Barren Plain encloses it.
A 7-point LRV gap (69 vs 62) makes Ammonite the marginally brighter of the two.
Barren Plain reflects far more light (LRV 62 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
A 10-point LRV gap (62 vs 52) makes Barren Plain the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 62 vs 30, Barren Plain is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 62 vs 60), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Barren Plain reads slightly lighter (LRV 62 vs 58), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Barren Plain reflects far more light (LRV 62 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 62 vs 43, Barren Plain is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 62 vs 4, Barren Plain is decisively the brighter choice.
Barren Plain reads slightly lighter (LRV 62 vs 55), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Barren Plain reflects far more light (LRV 62 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Barren Plain reflects far more light (LRV 62 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 62, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 62 vs 21, Barren Plain is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter (LRV 66 vs 62), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 62), opening up a space where Barren Plain encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 62), opening up a space where Barren Plain encloses it.
Barren Plain reflects far more light (LRV 62 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 68 vs 62), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 62 vs 41, Barren Plain is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (68 vs 62) makes Calamine the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 62 vs 25, Barren Plain is decisively the brighter choice.
Barren Plain reflects far more light (LRV 62 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Barren Plain reflects far more light (LRV 62 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 62 vs 31, Barren Plain is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 62 vs 7, Barren Plain is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 62 vs 24, Barren Plain is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (62 vs 57) makes Barren Plain the marginally brighter of the two.
A 10-point LRV gap (72 vs 62) makes Just Walnut the marginally brighter of the two.