Tar vs Expressive Plum
Tar is a Farrow & Ball color while Expressive Plum comes from Sherwin-Williams. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. At LRV 12 vs 9, Expressive Plum will read as the brighter of the two — a 3-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. They share a neutral quality — useful to know if you're layering them in the same space. At ΔE 8.4, the difference is perceptible but not dramatic — the two can work harmoniously in the same space. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Tar vs Expressive Plum in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Tar and Expressive Plum 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
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Kitchen Cabinets
On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Color Details
Tar vs Expressive Plum Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Tar on one side and Expressive Plum 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 Tar comparisons
See how Tar stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 9), opening up a space where Tar encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 9, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 9, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 9, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 9), opening up a space where Tar encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 9), opening up a space where Tar encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 9, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 9), opening up a space where Tar encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 9), opening up a space where Tar encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 9, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 9), opening up a space where Tar encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 9), opening up a space where Tar encloses it.
With LRVs of 12 and 9, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 9), opening up a space where Tar encloses it.
With LRVs of 12 and 9, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 9), opening up a space where Tar encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 9, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 9 vs 7), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 24 vs 9, Cement grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 9, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.