Merlins Beard vs Ammonite
Where Merlins Beard belongs to Cloverdale Paint's range, Ammonite is a Farrow & Ball color. Hue-wise, Merlins Beard belongs to the beige family and Ammonite to the beige-greige family. Merlins Beard (LRV 77) reflects noticeably more light than Ammonite (LRV 69), a difference of 8 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. The ΔE 4.5 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Merlins Beard vs Ammonite in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Merlins Beard and Ammonite 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 LRV gap is large enough that Merlins Beard will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Ammonite 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. Merlins Beard reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Ammonite.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Merlins Beard reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Ammonite.
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. Merlins Beard returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Merlins Beard reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Ammonite.
Color Details
Merlins Beard vs Ammonite Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Merlins Beard on one side and Ammonite 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 Merlins Beard comparisons
See how Merlins Beard stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
A 6-point LRV gap (83 vs 77) makes White Dove the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 77 vs 6, Merlins Beard is decisively the brighter choice.
Merlins Beard reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Merlins Beard reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
At LRV 77 vs 52, Merlins Beard is decisively the brighter choice.
Merlins Beard reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 60), opening up a space where Agreeable Gray encloses it.
At LRV 77 vs 58, Merlins Beard is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 77 vs 27, Merlins Beard is decisively the brighter choice.
Merlins Beard reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
Merlins Beard reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 77 vs 55, Merlins Beard is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 77 vs 13, Merlins Beard is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 77 vs 44, Merlins Beard is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reads slightly lighter (LRV 84 vs 77), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Merlins Beard reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
A 11-point LRV gap (77 vs 66) makes Merlins Beard the marginally brighter of the two.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 77 vs 74), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 6-point LRV gap (83 vs 77) makes Snowbound the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 77 vs 12, Merlins Beard is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (77 vs 68) makes Merlins Beard the marginally brighter of the two.
Merlins Beard reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
Merlins Beard reads slightly lighter (LRV 77 vs 68), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Merlins Beard reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 25), opening up a space where Treron encloses it.
At LRV 77 vs 12, Merlins Beard is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 77 vs 45, Merlins Beard is decisively the brighter choice.
Merlins Beard reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Merlins Beard reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Merlins Beard reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Merlins Beard reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 57), opening up a space where Guilford Green encloses it.
Merlins Beard reads slightly lighter (LRV 77 vs 72), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.