Lichen vs Green Earth
Lichen (Farrow & Ball) and Green Earth (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Lichen reads as greige-grey, while Green Earth reads as green-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 3-point LRV gap — 34 for Lichen vs 31 for Green Earth — means Lichen will open up a space more effectively. Both share a warm character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. ΔE 3.6 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Lichen vs Green Earth in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Lichen and Green Earth 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
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. Lichen reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Lichen has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
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. Lichen has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Lichen vs Green Earth Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Lichen on one side and Green Earth 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.
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.
A 10-point LRV gap (34 vs 24) makes Lichen the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 57 vs 34, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.