Soft Fern vs Livid
Soft Fern (Benjamin Moore) and Livid (Little Greene) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Soft Fern belongs to the beige-greige family and Livid to the blue-green family. Soft Fern has an LRV of 57. Where Soft Fern leans yellow, Livid reads green — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 31.6 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Soft Fern vs Livid in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Soft Fern and Livid in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
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
Soft Fern vs Livid Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Soft Fern on one side and Livid 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 Soft Fern comparisons
See how Soft Fern stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 57, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Soft Fern reads slightly lighter (LRV 57 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Soft Fern reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 57), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 58 vs 57), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 57 vs 27, Soft Fern is decisively the brighter choice.
Soft Fern reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 57 vs 55), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 57 vs 44, Soft Fern is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 57), opening up a space where Soft Fern encloses it.
A 9-point LRV gap (66 vs 57) makes Balboa Mist the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 74 vs 57, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 12, Soft Fern is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 8, Soft Fern is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (68 vs 57) makes Skimming Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 57 vs 12, Soft Fern is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (57 vs 45) makes Soft Fern the marginally brighter of the two.
Soft Fern reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Soft Fern reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.