Green Smoke vs Afraid Of The Dark
Where Green Smoke belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Afraid Of The Dark is a PPG color. These are both green-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within green-grey to land. Afraid Of The Dark (LRV 66) reflects noticeably more light than Green Smoke (LRV 19), a difference of 47 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 34.4, 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 8 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Green Smoke vs Afraid Of The Dark in Real Spaces
8 real rooms side by side. Seeing Green Smoke and Afraid Of The Dark 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 Afraid Of The Dark will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Green Smoke would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Afraid Of The Dark reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Green Smoke.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Afraid Of The Dark reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Green Smoke.
Dining Room
A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. Afraid Of The Dark returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Afraid Of The Dark reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Green Smoke.
Mudroom
Mudrooms are seen in passing, often under whatever light comes through the door — a context that favors colors with some depth. Afraid Of The Dark returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Afraid Of The Dark reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Green Smoke.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Afraid Of The Dark will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Green Smoke would.
Color Details
Green Smoke vs Afraid Of The Dark Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Green Smoke on one side and Afraid Of The Dark 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 Green Smoke comparisons
See how Green Smoke stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
