Bistre vs Tawny Owl

BistreCloverdale PaintvsTawny OwlDuluxΔE 6.4Noticeable difference

Where Bistre belongs to Cloverdale Paint's range, Tawny Owl is a Dulux color. Both sit in the greige-grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (9 vs 10), so they'll read as similarly Dark in most lighting conditions. The ΔE 6.4 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Bistre vs Tawny Owl in Real Spaces

2 real rooms side by side. Bistre and Tawny Owl 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

In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.

BistreBistre CA214 by Cloverdale Paint — Living Room

@visualization

Tawny OwlDulux Tawny Owl cozy living room paint

@homehouseabode

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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.

BistreBistre CA214 by Cloverdale Paint — Dining Room

@visualization

Tawny OwlDulux Tawny Owl cozy dining room paint

@fuji.at.home

Color Details

Bistre
Cloverdale Paint · CA214
Hex#62524A
LRV9.1
BrandCloverdale Paint
NumberCA214
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessDark
Tawny Owl
Dulux
Hex#5F5A4C
LRV10.3
BrandDulux
Number
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessDark

Bistre vs Tawny Owl Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Bistre on one side and Tawny Owl on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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 Bistre comparisons

See how Bistre stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
Bistre
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Bistre
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
Bistre
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Bistre reads slightly lighter

Purbeck Stone
Bistre
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone is the lighter choice

Evergreen Fog
Bistre
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Evergreen Fog reads noticeably lighter

Mizzle
Bistre
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle is the lighter choice

Agreeable Gray
Bistre
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray is the lighter choice

Denim Drift
Bistre
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Denim Drift reads noticeably lighter

Tranquil Dawn
Bistre
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn is the lighter choice

Balboa Mist
Bistre
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Vintage Vogue
Bistre
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Nearly identical in tone

Pale Green
Bistre
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Pale Green reads noticeably lighter

Pine Needle
Bistre
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Nearly identical in tone

Cement grey
Bistre
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Cement grey reads noticeably lighter

Black grey
Bistre
Black grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Black grey
LRV 6

Nearly identical in tone

Piazza
Bistre
Piazza
Tikkurila
Piazza
LRV 65

Piazza is the lighter choice

Humble Yellow
Bistre
Humble Yellow
Jotun
Humble Yellow
LRV 57

Humble Yellow is the lighter choice

Windmill Lane
Bistre
Windmill Lane
Little Greene
Windmill Lane
LRV 31

Windmill Lane reads noticeably lighter

Senses
Bistre
Senses
Jotun
Senses
LRV 41

Senses is the lighter choice

Lamp Black
Bistre
Lamp Black
Little Greene
Lamp Black
LRV 3

Bistre reads slightly lighter

Washed Linen
Bistre
Washed Linen
Jotun
Washed Linen
LRV 55

Washed Linen is the lighter choice

Tea with Florence
Bistre
Tea with Florence
Little Greene
Tea with Florence
LRV 18

Tea with Florence reads slightly lighter

Thames Fog
Bistre
Thames Fog
Valspar
Thames Fog
LRV 27

Thames Fog reads noticeably lighter

Ocean Abyss
Bistre
Ocean Abyss
Behr
Ocean Abyss
LRV 7

Nearly identical in tone

Classic Silver
Bistre
Classic Silver
Behr
Classic Silver
LRV 48

Classic Silver is the lighter choice

Teton Blue
Bistre
Teton Blue
Behr
Teton Blue
LRV 31

Teton Blue reads noticeably lighter

RAL 110-2
Bistre
RAL 110-2
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-2
LRV 72

RAL 110-2 is the lighter choice

RAL 110-1
Bistre
RAL 110-1
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-1
LRV 80

RAL 110-1 is the lighter choice

Paper
Bistre
Paper
Tikkurila
Paper
LRV 88

Paper is the lighter choice

Passageway
Bistre
Passageway
Valspar
Passageway
LRV 14

Passageway reads slightly lighter