Arugula vs Houseplant
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Arugula reads as green, while Houseplant reads as green-yellow — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Houseplant (LRV 14) reflects noticeably more light than Arugula (LRV 10), a difference of 4 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Arugula runs cool while Houseplant is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 10.4, 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 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Arugula vs Houseplant in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Arugula and Houseplant 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 brightness difference is modest but present — Houseplant gives the walls a little more lift.
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. Houseplant reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Mudroom
Mudrooms are seen in passing, often under whatever light comes through the door — a context that favors colors with some depth. Houseplant has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Arugula vs Houseplant Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Arugula on one side and Houseplant 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 Arugula comparisons
See how Arugula stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 10), opening up a space where Arugula encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 10, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 10, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 10, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 10), opening up a space where Arugula encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 10), opening up a space where Arugula encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 10, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 10), opening up a space where Arugula encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 10), opening up a space where Arugula encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 10, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 10), opening up a space where Arugula encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 10), opening up a space where Arugula encloses it.
With LRVs of 12 and 10, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 10), opening up a space where Arugula encloses it.
With LRVs of 12 and 10, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 10), opening up a space where Arugula encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 10, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 10 vs 7), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 24 vs 10, Cement grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 10, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.