Basil vs Moth Wing
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Basil reads as green-grey, while Moth Wing reads as greige-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Moth Wing (LRV 29) reflects noticeably more light than Basil (LRV 15), a difference of 15 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Basil runs neutral while Moth Wing is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 19.5, 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 8 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Basil vs Moth Wing in Real Spaces
8 real rooms side by side. Seeing Basil and Moth Wing 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 Moth Wing will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Basil 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. Moth Wing reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Basil.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Moth Wing reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Basil.
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. Moth Wing reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Basil.
Home Office
The test for a home office color isn't how it looks in a quick glance — it's whether it still feels right after a full day of work. Moth Wing reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Basil.
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. Moth Wing reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Basil.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Moth Wing will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Basil would.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Moth Wing reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Basil.
Color Details
Basil vs Moth Wing Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Basil on one side and Moth Wing 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 Basil comparisons
See how Basil stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
