Star Anise vs Muddled Basil
Star Anise (PPG) and Muddled Basil (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Star Anise belongs to the beige-greige family and Muddled Basil to the greige-grey family. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 8 vs 9 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. A ΔE of 2.0 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 7 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Star Anise vs Muddled Basil in Real Spaces
7 real rooms side by side. Star Anise and Muddled Basil are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
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. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Home Office
Home office walls matter more than most — you're looking at them all day, and a color that reads fine at first can become tiring over time. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Front Door
On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Color Details
Star Anise vs Muddled Basil Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Star Anise on one side and Muddled Basil 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 Star Anise comparisons
See how Star Anise stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 8), opening up a space where Star Anise encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 8, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 8 vs 6), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 8), opening up a space where Star Anise encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 8), opening up a space where Star Anise encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 8, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 8), opening up a space where Star Anise encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 8, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 8, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 8), opening up a space where Star Anise encloses it.
Star Anise reads slightly lighter (LRV 8 vs 4), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 8, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (13 vs 8) makes Bancha the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 44 vs 8, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 8), opening up a space where Star Anise encloses it.
Artichoke reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 8), opening up a space where Star Anise encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 8, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 8, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 8, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 8), opening up a space where Star Anise encloses it.
A 4-point LRV gap (12 vs 8) makes Pewter Green the marginally brighter of the two.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 8 vs 8), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 8, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 8), opening up a space where Star Anise encloses it.
A 4-point LRV gap (12 vs 8) makes Vintage Vogue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 8, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 8), opening up a space where Star Anise encloses it.