Mouse's Back vs Thunderbird
Where Mouse's Back belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Thunderbird is a PPG color. Hue-wise, Mouse's Back belongs to the beige-greige family and Thunderbird to the greige-grey family. Mouse's Back (LRV 26) reflects noticeably more light than Thunderbird (LRV 21), a difference of 5 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. The ΔE 5.7 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Mouse's Back vs Thunderbird in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Mouse's Back and Thunderbird 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
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 brightness difference is modest but present — Mouse's Back gives the walls a little more lift.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Mouse's Back reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Mouse's Back reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Mouse's Back reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Mouse's Back reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The brightness difference is modest but present — Mouse's Back gives the walls a little more lift.
Color Details
Mouse's Back vs Thunderbird Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Mouse's Back on one side and Thunderbird 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 Mouse's Back comparisons
See how Mouse's Back stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 26, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 26), opening up a space where Mouse's Back encloses it.
At LRV 26 vs 6, Mouse's Back is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 26), opening up a space where Mouse's Back encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reads slightly lighter (LRV 30 vs 26), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 26, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 26), opening up a space where Mouse's Back encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 26, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 27 vs 26), so neither reads brighter in a room.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 26), opening up a space where Mouse's Back encloses it.
Mouse's Back reflects far more light (LRV 26 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 26, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 26 vs 13, Mouse's Back is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 26, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 26), opening up a space where Mouse's Back encloses it.
Mouse's Back reads slightly lighter (LRV 26 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 26, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 26, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 26, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 26 vs 12, Mouse's Back is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 26, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 26), opening up a space where Mouse's Back encloses it.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 26), opening up a space where Mouse's Back encloses it.
With LRVs of 26 and 25, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 26 vs 12, Mouse's Back is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 26, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 26), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Mouse's Back reflects far more light (LRV 26 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
With LRVs of 26 and 24, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 26), opening up a space where Mouse's Back encloses it.