Windmill Lane vs Hardware
Windmill Lane (Little Greene) and Hardware (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Windmill Lane reads as green-grey, while Hardware reads as greige-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 8-point LRV gap — 31 for Windmill Lane vs 23 for Hardware — means Windmill Lane will open up a space more effectively. Where Windmill Lane leans green, Hardware reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 11.3 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.
Windmill Lane vs Hardware in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Windmill Lane and Hardware 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. Windmill Lane reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Hardware.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The LRV gap is large enough that Windmill Lane will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Hardware would.
Color Details
Windmill Lane vs Hardware Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Windmill Lane on one side and Hardware 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 Windmill Lane comparisons
See how Windmill Lane stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
