Obsidian Green vs Functional Gray
Where Obsidian Green belongs to Little Greene's range, Functional Gray is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Obsidian Green belongs to the green family and Functional Gray to the greige-grey family. Functional Gray (LRV 37) reflects noticeably more light than Obsidian Green (LRV 1), a difference of 36 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Obsidian Green runs green while Functional Gray is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 57.3, 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 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Obsidian Green vs Functional Gray in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Obsidian Green and Functional Gray 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 Functional Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Obsidian Green 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. Functional Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Obsidian Green.
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. Functional Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Obsidian Green.
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. Functional Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Obsidian Green.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Functional Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Obsidian Green.
Color Details
Obsidian Green vs Functional Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Obsidian Green on one side and Functional Gray 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 Obsidian Green comparisons
See how Obsidian Green stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
