Laurel vs Basil
Where Laurel belongs to Jotun's range, Basil is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Laurel belongs to the greige-grey family and Basil to the green-grey family. Laurel (LRV 41) reflects noticeably more light than Basil (LRV 15), a difference of 27 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Laurel runs warm while Basil is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 26.7, 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.
Laurel vs Basil in Real Spaces
7 real rooms side by side. Seeing Laurel and Basil 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 Laurel will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Basil 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. Laurel reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Basil.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Laurel reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Basil.
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. Laurel reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Basil.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Laurel reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Basil.
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 Laurel will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Basil would.
Color Details
Laurel vs Basil Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Laurel on one side and Basil 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 Laurel comparisons
See how Laurel stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
