Cromarty vs Waterloo

CromartyFarrow & BallvsWaterlooSherwin-WilliamsΔE 42.7Very different colors

Cromarty is a Farrow & Ball color while Waterloo comes from Sherwin-Williams. Hue-wise, Cromarty belongs to the greige-grey family and Waterloo to the blue family. At LRV 60 vs 13, Cromarty will read as the brighter of the two — a 47-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. The tonal difference — Cromarty's warm character against Waterloo's cool — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 42.7, 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 Waterloo in Real Spaces

6 real rooms side by side. Seeing Cromarty and Waterloo 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

WaterlooWaterloo SW 9141 living room

@mybudgetrecipes

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 Waterloo would.

CromartyCromarty bedroom review

@hugos.abode

WaterlooBedroom painted in Sherwin-Williams Waterloo

@mybudgetrecipes

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 Waterloo would.

CromartyCromarty bathroom color review

@morehandles

WaterlooSherwin Williams Waterloo bathroom

@mybudgetrecipes

Home Office

In a home office, wall color sits in your peripheral vision for hours at a time, so temperature and undertone matter more than you might expect. The LRV gap is large enough that Cromarty will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Waterloo would.

CromartyCromarty home office paint

@chelworth_on_the_square

WaterlooWaterloo home office color review

@mybudgetrecipes

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

WaterlooSW 9141 front door inspiration

@mybudgetrecipes

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 Waterloo would.

CromartyCromarty kitchen cabinets paint review

@petertressel

WaterlooWaterloo SW 9141 kitchen cabinets

@mybudgetrecipes

Color Details

Cromarty
Farrow & Ball · 285
Hex#cfcec0
LRV60.0
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number285
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessLight
Waterloo
Sherwin-Williams · 9141
Hex#536872
LRV13.0
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number9141
Undertone
TemperatureCool
BrightnessDark

Cromarty vs Waterloo Simulated Comparison

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