Butternut vs Windmill Lane
Butternut (Cloverdale Paint) and Windmill Lane (Little Greene) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Butternut belongs to the beige-greige family and Windmill Lane to the green-grey family. The 18-point LRV gap — 31 for Windmill Lane vs 13 for Butternut — means Windmill Lane will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 25.2 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Butternut vs Windmill Lane in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Butternut and Windmill Lane 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
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. Windmill Lane reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Butternut.
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. Windmill Lane 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 Windmill Lane will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Butternut 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. Windmill Lane returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Butternut vs Windmill Lane Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Butternut on one side and Windmill Lane 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 Butternut comparisons
See how Butternut stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
