Cromarty vs Lichen

CromartyFarrow & BallvsLichenFarrow & BallΔE 17.8Distinct difference

Both are Farrow & Ball colors. Both sit in the greige-grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. At LRV 60 vs 34, Cromarty will read as the brighter of the two — a 26-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. They share a warm quality — useful to know if you're layering them in the same space. At ΔE 17.8, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Cromarty vs Lichen in Real Spaces

6 real rooms side by side. Seeing Cromarty and Lichen 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

Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. Cromarty returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

CromartyCromarty living room fireplace paint review

@reidsrenovate

LichenFarrow and Ball Lichen 19 living room interior

@janeshomejournal

Bedroom

Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Cromarty will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Lichen would.

CromartyCromarty bedroom review

@hugos.abode

LichenFarrow and Ball Lichen 19 bedroom

@ourheadley.home

Dining Room

Dining room light is typically the warmest in the house, which shifts both colors toward the red end of the spectrum compared to daylight. Cromarty reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Lichen.

CromartyFarrow and Ball Cromarty dining room color

@revamp.nqy

LichenFarrow and Ball Lichen 19 dining room

@lock.downhouse

Bathroom

Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The LRV gap is large enough that Cromarty will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Lichen would.

CromartyCromarty bathroom color review

@morehandles

LichenFarrow and Ball Lichen 19 bathroom

@studiojoyinteriors

Front Door

Front doors are seen in isolation against the rest of the facade, which makes them a high-stakes surface where even subtle differences matter. Cromarty returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

CromartyFarrow and Ball Cromarty front door picture

@morehandles

LichenFarrow and Ball Lichen 19 front door

@creannokvanum

Kitchen Cabinets

On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. The LRV gap is large enough that Cromarty will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Lichen would.

CromartyCromarty kitchen cabinets paint review

@petertressel

LichenFarrow and Ball Lichen 19 kitchen cabinets

@yorkshire_smallholding

Color Details

Cromarty
Farrow & Ball · 285
Hex#cfcec0
LRV60.0
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number285
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessLight
Lichen
Farrow & Ball · 19
Hex#a1a189
LRV34.5
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number19
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessMedium

Cromarty vs Lichen Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cromarty on one side and Lichen on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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 Cromarty comparisons

See how Cromarty stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
Cromarty
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove reads noticeably lighter

Ammonite
Cromarty
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite reads slightly lighter

Iron Ore
Cromarty
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Cromarty is the lighter choice

Purbeck Stone
Cromarty
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Cromarty reads slightly lighter

Evergreen Fog
Cromarty
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Cromarty is the lighter choice

Mizzle
Cromarty
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Cromarty reads slightly lighter

Agreeable Gray
Cromarty
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Nearly identical in tone

Accessible Beige
Cromarty
Accessible Beige
Sherwin-Williams
Accessible Beige
LRV 58

Nearly identical in tone

Denim Drift
Cromarty
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Cromarty is the lighter choice

French Gray
Cromarty
French Gray
Farrow & Ball
French Gray
LRV 43

Cromarty reads noticeably lighter

Naval
Cromarty
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

Cromarty is the lighter choice

Tranquil Dawn
Cromarty
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Cromarty reads slightly lighter

Bancha
Cromarty
Bancha
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

Cromarty is the lighter choice

Hardwick White
Cromarty
Hardwick White
Farrow & Ball
Hardwick White
LRV 44

Cromarty reads noticeably lighter

Pure White
Cromarty
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams
Pure White
LRV 84

Pure White reads noticeably lighter

Artichoke
Cromarty
Artichoke
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

Cromarty is the lighter choice

Balboa Mist
Cromarty
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter

Shoji White
Cromarty
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams
Shoji White
LRV 74

Shoji White reads noticeably lighter

Snowbound
Cromarty
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound reads noticeably lighter

Pewter Green
Cromarty
Pewter Green
Sherwin-Williams
Pewter Green
LRV 12

Cromarty is the lighter choice

Skimming Stone
Cromarty
Skimming Stone
Farrow & Ball
Skimming Stone
LRV 68

Skimming Stone reads slightly lighter

Dix Blue
Cromarty
Dix Blue
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

Cromarty reads noticeably lighter

Calamine
Cromarty
Calamine
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68

Calamine reads slightly lighter

Treron
Cromarty
Treron
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25

Cromarty is the lighter choice

Vintage Vogue
Cromarty
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Cromarty is the lighter choice

Saybrook Sage
Cromarty
Saybrook Sage
Benjamin Moore
Saybrook Sage
LRV 45

Cromarty reads noticeably lighter

Pale Green
Cromarty
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Cromarty is the lighter choice

Pine Needle
Cromarty
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Cromarty is the lighter choice

Cement grey
Cromarty
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Cromarty is the lighter choice

Guilford Green
Cromarty
Guilford Green
Benjamin Moore
Guilford Green
LRV 57

Nearly identical in tone