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.
