Lamp Black vs Rice Grain
Where Lamp Black belongs to Little Greene's range, Rice Grain is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Lamp Black belongs to the grey family and Rice Grain to the beige family. Rice Grain (LRV 64) reflects noticeably more light than Lamp Black (LRV 3), a difference of 61 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Lamp Black runs purple while Rice Grain is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 66.5, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Lamp Black vs Rice Grain in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Lamp Black and Rice Grain 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 Rice Grain will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Lamp Black would.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Rice Grain reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Lamp Black.
Color Details
Lamp Black vs Rice Grain Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Lamp Black on one side and Rice Grain 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.
