Mouse's Back vs Paper

Mouse's BackFarrow & BallvsPaperTikkurilaΔE 38.8Very different colors

Mouse's Back is a Farrow & Ball color while Paper comes from Tikkurila. Both sit in the beige-greige family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. At LRV 88 vs 26, Paper will read as the brighter of the two — a 62-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 38.8, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Mouse's Back vs Paper in Real Spaces

4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Mouse's Back and Paper 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

Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. Paper returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Mouse's BackFarrow and Ball Mouse's Back 40 living room

@palm_terrace_

PaperTikkurila Paper F497 living room day mood

@harmaamaja

Bedroom

Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Paper will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Mouse's Back would.

Mouse's BackFarrow and Ball Mouse's Back 40 bedroom

@renovating_our_victorian_home

PaperTikkurila Paper F497 bedroom

@harmaamaja

Kitchen

Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The LRV gap is large enough that Paper will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Mouse's Back would.

Mouse's BackFarrow and Ball Mouse's Back 40 kitchen

@ciaras_cooking

PaperTikkurila Paper F497 kitchen

@kotikodesign

House

At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Paper will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Mouse's Back would.

Mouse's BackFarrow and Ball Mouse's Back 40 door

@gtsdecorating

PaperTikkurila Paper F497 house garage interior

@harmaamaja

Color Details

Mouse's Back
Farrow & Ball · 40
Hex#998976
LRV26.3
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number40
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessMedium
Paper
Tikkurila · F497
Hex#F2F2ED
LRV88.4
BrandTikkurila
NumberF497
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessLight

Mouse's Back vs Paper Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Mouse's Back on one side and Paper on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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.

White Dove
Mouse's Back
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Mouse's Back
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
Mouse's Back
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Mouse's Back reads noticeably lighter

Purbeck Stone
Mouse's Back
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone is the lighter choice

Evergreen Fog
Mouse's Back
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Evergreen Fog reads slightly lighter

Mizzle
Mouse's Back
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle is the lighter choice

Agreeable Gray
Mouse's Back
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray is the lighter choice

Denim Drift
Mouse's Back
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Nearly identical in tone

Tranquil Dawn
Mouse's Back
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn is the lighter choice

Balboa Mist
Mouse's Back
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Vintage Vogue
Mouse's Back
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Mouse's Back reads noticeably lighter

Pale Green
Mouse's Back
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Pale Green reads slightly lighter

Pine Needle
Mouse's Back
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Mouse's Back reads noticeably lighter

Cement grey
Mouse's Back
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Nearly identical in tone

Black grey
Mouse's Back
Black grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Black grey
LRV 6

Mouse's Back reads noticeably lighter

Piazza
Mouse's Back
Piazza
Tikkurila
Piazza
LRV 65

Piazza is the lighter choice

Humble Yellow
Mouse's Back
Humble Yellow
Jotun
Humble Yellow
LRV 57

Humble Yellow is the lighter choice

Windmill Lane
Mouse's Back
Windmill Lane
Little Greene
Windmill Lane
LRV 31

Windmill Lane reads slightly lighter

Senses
Mouse's Back
Senses
Jotun
Senses
LRV 41

Senses reads noticeably lighter

Lamp Black
Mouse's Back
Lamp Black
Little Greene
Lamp Black
LRV 3

Mouse's Back reads noticeably lighter

Washed Linen
Mouse's Back
Washed Linen
Jotun
Washed Linen
LRV 55

Washed Linen is the lighter choice

Tea with Florence
Mouse's Back
Tea with Florence
Little Greene
Tea with Florence
LRV 18

Mouse's Back reads slightly lighter

Thames Fog
Mouse's Back
Thames Fog
Valspar
Thames Fog
LRV 27

Nearly identical in tone

Ocean Abyss
Mouse's Back
Ocean Abyss
Behr
Ocean Abyss
LRV 7

Mouse's Back reads noticeably lighter

Classic Silver
Mouse's Back
Classic Silver
Behr
Classic Silver
LRV 48

Classic Silver reads noticeably lighter

Teton Blue
Mouse's Back
Teton Blue
Behr
Teton Blue
LRV 31

Teton Blue reads slightly lighter

RAL 110-2
Mouse's Back
RAL 110-2
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-2
LRV 72

RAL 110-2 is the lighter choice

RAL 110-1
Mouse's Back
RAL 110-1
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-1
LRV 80

RAL 110-1 is the lighter choice

Passageway
Mouse's Back
Passageway
Valspar
Passageway
LRV 14

Mouse's Back reads noticeably lighter

RAL 180-1
Mouse's Back
RAL 180-1
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 180-1
LRV 49

RAL 180-1 reads noticeably lighter