Steam vs Bancha
Where Steam belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Bancha is a Farrow & Ball color. These are both beige-greiges, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within beige-greige to land. Steam (LRV 84) reflects noticeably more light than Bancha (LRV 13), a difference of 71 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Steam runs yellow while Bancha is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 53.0, 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 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Steam vs Bancha in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Steam and Bancha 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 Steam will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Bancha 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. Steam reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Bancha.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Steam reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Bancha.
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. Steam returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Steam vs Bancha Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Steam on one side and Bancha 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 Steam comparisons
See how Steam stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 84 vs 83), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Steam reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Steam reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Steam reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 60), opening up a space where Agreeable Gray encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 58, Steam is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 84 vs 27, Steam is decisively the brighter choice.
Steam reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 55, Steam is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 84 vs 44, Steam is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 84 and 84, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 84 vs 66, Steam is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (84 vs 74) makes Steam the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 84 vs 12, Steam is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 84 vs 68, Steam is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 84 vs 12, Steam is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 84 vs 45, Steam is decisively the brighter choice.
Steam reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Steam reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Steam reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Steam reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 57), opening up a space where Guilford Green encloses it.
Steam reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 72), opening up a space where Just Walnut encloses it.