Dark Lead Colour vs Artichoke
Dark Lead Colour (Little Greene) and Artichoke (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. The 7-point LRV gap — 21 for Artichoke vs 15 for Dark Lead Colour — means Artichoke will open up a space more effectively. Where Dark Lead Colour leans red, Artichoke reads neutral — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 15.7 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Dark Lead Colour vs Artichoke in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Dark Lead Colour and Artichoke 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
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Artichoke reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Artichoke has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Dark Lead Colour vs Artichoke Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Dark Lead Colour on one side and Artichoke 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 Dark Lead Colour comparisons
See how Dark Lead Colour stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 15), opening up a space where Dark Lead Colour encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 15, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
Dark Lead Colour reads slightly lighter (LRV 15 vs 6), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 15, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 15, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 15), opening up a space where Dark Lead Colour encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 15, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 15), opening up a space where Dark Lead Colour encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 15), opening up a space where Dark Lead Colour encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 15, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (15 vs 4) makes Dark Lead Colour the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 15), opening up a space where Dark Lead Colour encloses it.
With LRVs of 15 and 13, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 15), opening up a space where Dark Lead Colour encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 15, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 15), opening up a space where Dark Lead Colour encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 15), opening up a space where Dark Lead Colour encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 15), opening up a space where Dark Lead Colour encloses it.
With LRVs of 15 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 15), opening up a space where Dark Lead Colour encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 15, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 15, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (25 vs 15) makes Treron the marginally brighter of the two.
With LRVs of 15 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 15), opening up a space where Dark Lead Colour encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 15, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (15 vs 7) makes Dark Lead Colour the marginally brighter of the two.
A 10-point LRV gap (24 vs 15) makes Cement grey the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 57 vs 15, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 15, Just Walnut is decisively the brighter choice.