Cystern vs Parma Gray
Where Cystern belongs to Cloverdale Paint's range, Parma Gray is a Farrow & Ball color. These are both blue-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue-grey to land. Parma Gray (LRV 50) reflects noticeably more light than Cystern (LRV 45), a difference of 5 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. The ΔE 4.9 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Cystern vs Parma Gray in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Cystern and Parma Gray 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. The brightness difference is modest but present — Parma Gray gives the walls a little more lift.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Parma Gray reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Parma Gray reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Parma Gray reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Cystern vs Parma Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cystern on one side and Parma Gray 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 Cystern comparisons
See how Cystern stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 45), opening up a space where Cystern encloses it.
A 7-point LRV gap (52 vs 45) makes Purbeck Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 30, Cystern is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 45, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 45), opening up a space where Cystern encloses it.
Cystern reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 45 vs 43), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Tranquil Dawn reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
With LRVs of 45 and 44, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 84 vs 45, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 45), opening up a space where Cystern encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 45), opening up a space where Cystern encloses it.
Cystern reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Cystern reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 45), opening up a space where Cystern encloses it.
Cystern reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
With LRVs of 45 and 45, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 45 vs 31, Cystern is decisively the brighter choice.