Selvedge vs Washed Linen
Where Selvedge belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Washed Linen is a Jotun color. Selvedge reads as blue-grey, while Washed Linen reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Washed Linen (LRV 55) reflects noticeably more light than Selvedge (LRV 25), a difference of 29 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Selvedge runs cool while Washed Linen is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 25.5, 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 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Selvedge vs Washed Linen in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Selvedge and Washed Linen 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 Washed Linen will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Selvedge 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. Washed Linen reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Selvedge.
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. Washed Linen reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Selvedge.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Washed Linen reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Selvedge.
Color Details
Selvedge vs Washed Linen Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Selvedge on one side and Washed Linen 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 Selvedge comparisons
See how Selvedge stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
