Middle Buff vs Windmill Lane
Both from Little Greene's palette. Hue-wise, Middle Buff belongs to the beige family and Windmill Lane to the green-grey family. Windmill Lane (LRV 31) reflects noticeably more light than Middle Buff (LRV 22), a difference of 9 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Middle Buff runs red while Windmill Lane is decidedly green, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 48.3, 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.
Middle Buff vs Windmill Lane in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Middle Buff and Windmill Lane 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 Windmill Lane will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Middle Buff would.
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. Windmill Lane reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Middle Buff.
Color Details
Middle Buff vs Windmill Lane Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Middle Buff on one side and Windmill Lane 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 Middle Buff comparisons
See how Middle Buff stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
