Parma Gray vs Obsidian Green
Where Parma Gray belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Obsidian Green is a Little Greene color. Hue-wise, Parma Gray belongs to the blue-grey family and Obsidian Green to the green family. Parma Gray (LRV 50) reflects noticeably more light than Obsidian Green (LRV 1), a difference of 49 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Parma Gray runs cool while Obsidian Green is decidedly green, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 66.2, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Parma Gray vs Obsidian Green in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Seeing Parma Gray and Obsidian Green 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
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 LRV gap is large enough that Parma Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Obsidian Green would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Parma Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Obsidian Green.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Parma Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Obsidian Green.
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. Parma Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Obsidian Green.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Parma Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Obsidian Green would.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Parma Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Obsidian Green.
Color Details
Parma Gray vs Obsidian Green Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Parma Gray on one side and Obsidian Green 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 Parma Gray comparisons
See how Parma Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
