Magnolia vs Cromarty
Where Magnolia belongs to Dulux's range, Cromarty is a Farrow & Ball color. Magnolia reads as beige, while Cromarty reads as greige-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Magnolia (LRV 83) reflects noticeably more light than Cromarty (LRV 60), a difference of 23 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean warm, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. With a ΔE of 10.9, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Magnolia vs Cromarty in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Magnolia and Cromarty 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
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 Magnolia will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Cromarty 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. Magnolia reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Cromarty.
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. Magnolia reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Cromarty.
Color Details
Magnolia vs Cromarty Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Magnolia on one side and Cromarty 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 Magnolia comparisons
See how Magnolia stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
