Lichen vs Livid
Lichen (Farrow & Ball) and Livid (Little Greene) come from different manufacturers. Lichen reads as greige-grey, while Livid reads as blue-green — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Lichen has an LRV of 34. Where Lichen leans warm, Livid reads green — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 19.0 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Lichen vs Livid in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Seeing Lichen and Livid 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
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Front Door
On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Color Details
Lichen vs Livid Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Lichen on one side and Livid 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 Lichen comparisons
See how Lichen stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 34), opening up a space where Lichen encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 34, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (34 vs 30) makes Lichen the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 60 vs 34, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 34), opening up a space where Lichen encloses it.
Lichen reads slightly lighter (LRV 34 vs 27), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 9-point LRV gap (43 vs 34) makes French Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 34), opening up a space where Lichen encloses it.
Hardwick White reads slightly lighter (LRV 44 vs 34), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 34, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 34), opening up a space where Lichen encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 34), opening up a space where Lichen encloses it.
Lichen reflects far more light (LRV 34 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Lichen reflects far more light (LRV 34 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 34), opening up a space where Lichen encloses it.
Lichen reflects far more light (LRV 34 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reads slightly lighter (LRV 45 vs 34), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 3-point LRV gap (34 vs 31) makes Lichen the marginally brighter of the two.
