Lamp Black vs Crabby Apple
Where Lamp Black belongs to Little Greene's range, Crabby Apple is a Sherwin-Williams color. Lamp Black reads as grey, while Crabby Apple reads as pink-red — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Crabby Apple (LRV 7) reflects noticeably more light than Lamp Black (LRV 3), a difference of 4 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Lamp Black runs purple while Crabby Apple is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 33.9, 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.
Lamp Black vs Crabby Apple in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Lamp Black and Crabby Apple 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 brightness difference is modest but present — Crabby Apple gives the walls a little more lift.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Crabby Apple reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Crabby Apple reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The brightness difference is modest but present — Crabby Apple gives the walls a little more lift.
Color Details
Lamp Black vs Crabby Apple Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Lamp Black on one side and Crabby Apple 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 Lamp Black comparisons
See how Lamp Black stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
