Espresso vs Raisin Cake
Where Espresso belongs to Cloverdale Paint's range, Raisin Cake is a Dulux color. Espresso reads as greige-grey, while Raisin Cake reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Raisin Cake (LRV 11) reflects noticeably more light than Espresso (LRV 8), a difference of 3 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. At ΔE 2.7, these are close — the kind of difference that matters when choosing between them, but doesn't read strongly in a finished room. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Espresso vs Raisin Cake in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Espresso and Raisin Cake 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 — Raisin Cake gives the walls a little more lift.
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. Raisin Cake has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
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. Raisin Cake reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Espresso vs Raisin Cake Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Espresso on one side and Raisin Cake 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 Espresso comparisons
See how Espresso stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 8), opening up a space where Espresso encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 8, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 8, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 8, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 8), opening up a space where Espresso encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 8), opening up a space where Espresso encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 8, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 8), opening up a space where Espresso encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 8), opening up a space where Espresso encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 8, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 8), opening up a space where Espresso encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 8), opening up a space where Espresso encloses it.
Pewter Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
With LRVs of 8 and 8, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 8), opening up a space where Espresso encloses it.
Vintage Vogue reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 8), opening up a space where Espresso encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 8, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.