Calamine vs Steam
Where Calamine belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Steam is a Tikkurila color. Hue-wise, Calamine belongs to the pink-red family and Steam to the greige-white family. Steam (LRV 79) reflects noticeably more light than Calamine (LRV 68), a difference of 11 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. The ΔE 9.5 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Calamine vs Steam in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Calamine and Steam 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 Steam will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Calamine would.
Color Details
Calamine vs Steam Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Calamine on one side and Steam 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 Calamine comparisons
See how Calamine stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
