Arsenic vs Bancha
Both from Farrow & Ball's palette. Hue-wise, Arsenic belongs to the green family and Bancha to the beige-greige family. Arsenic (LRV 37) reflects noticeably more light than Bancha (LRV 13), a difference of 24 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Arsenic runs cool while Bancha is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 32.0, 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.
Arsenic vs Bancha in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Arsenic and Bancha 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 Arsenic will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Bancha would.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Arsenic reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Bancha.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Arsenic reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Bancha.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Arsenic reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Bancha.
Color Details
Arsenic vs Bancha Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Arsenic on one side and Bancha 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 Arsenic comparisons
See how Arsenic stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 37), opening up a space where Arsenic encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 37, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (37 vs 30) makes Arsenic the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 60 vs 37, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 37), opening up a space where Arsenic encloses it.
Arsenic reads slightly lighter (LRV 37 vs 27), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 6-point LRV gap (43 vs 37) makes French Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 37), opening up a space where Arsenic encloses it.
Hardwick White reads slightly lighter (LRV 44 vs 37), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 37, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 37), opening up a space where Arsenic encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 37), opening up a space where Arsenic encloses it.
Arsenic reflects far more light (LRV 37 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 37), opening up a space where Arsenic encloses it.
Arsenic reflects far more light (LRV 37 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reads slightly lighter (LRV 45 vs 37), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 6-point LRV gap (37 vs 31) makes Arsenic the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 37 vs 7, Arsenic is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 37 vs 24, Arsenic is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 37, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 37, Just Walnut is decisively the brighter choice.