Arsenic vs Lamp Black
Where Arsenic belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Lamp Black is a Little Greene color. Arsenic reads as green, while Lamp Black reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Arsenic (LRV 37) reflects noticeably more light than Lamp Black (LRV 3), a difference of 34 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Arsenic runs cool while Lamp Black is decidedly purple, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 56.3, 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 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Arsenic vs Lamp Black in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Arsenic and Lamp Black 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 Lamp Black 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 Lamp Black.
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 Lamp Black.
Color Details
Arsenic vs Lamp Black Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Arsenic on one side and Lamp Black 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.
