Purbeck Stone vs Thunderbird
Where Purbeck Stone belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Thunderbird is a PPG color. Both sit in the greige-grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Purbeck Stone (LRV 52) reflects noticeably more light than Thunderbird (LRV 21), a difference of 31 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 25.2, 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 7 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Purbeck Stone vs Thunderbird in Real Spaces
7 real rooms side by side. Seeing Purbeck Stone and Thunderbird 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 Purbeck Stone will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Thunderbird 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. Purbeck Stone reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Thunderbird.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Purbeck Stone reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Thunderbird.
Dining Room
A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. Purbeck Stone returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Purbeck Stone reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Thunderbird.
Home Office
The test for a home office color isn't how it looks in a quick glance — it's whether it still feels right after a full day of work. Purbeck Stone reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Thunderbird.
Mudroom
Mudrooms are seen in passing, often under whatever light comes through the door — a context that favors colors with some depth. Purbeck Stone returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Purbeck Stone vs Thunderbird Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Purbeck Stone 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 Purbeck Stone comparisons
See how Purbeck Stone stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 52, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 6, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 52 vs 52), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Agreeable Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 6-point LRV gap (58 vs 52) makes Accessible Beige the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 52 vs 27, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 43), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
A 3-point LRV gap (55 vs 52) makes Tranquil Dawn the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 52 vs 13, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (52 vs 44) makes Purbeck Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 52, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 52, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 52, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 52 vs 12, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 52, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 41), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 25), opening up a space where Treron encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 12, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (52 vs 45) makes Purbeck Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Guilford Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 57 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.