Calico vs Plum Brown
Calico and Plum Brown come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Hue-wise, Calico belongs to the blue-green family and Plum Brown to the grey family. The 29-point LRV gap — 35 for Calico vs 6 for Plum Brown — means Calico will open up a space more effectively. Both share a cool character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. A ΔE of 39.6 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.
Calico vs Plum Brown in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Calico and Plum Brown 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. Calico reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Plum Brown.
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. Calico reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Plum Brown.
Color Details
Calico vs Plum Brown Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Calico on one side and Plum Brown 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 Calico comparisons
See how Calico stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 35), opening up a space where Calico encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 35, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (35 vs 30) makes Calico the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 60 vs 35, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 35), opening up a space where Calico encloses it.
Calico reads slightly lighter (LRV 35 vs 27), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 9-point LRV gap (43 vs 35) makes French Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 35), opening up a space where Calico encloses it.
Hardwick White reads slightly lighter (LRV 44 vs 35), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 35, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 35), opening up a space where Calico encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 35), opening up a space where Calico encloses it.
Calico reflects far more light (LRV 35 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 35), opening up a space where Calico encloses it.
Calico reflects far more light (LRV 35 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reads slightly lighter (LRV 45 vs 35), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 3-point LRV gap (35 vs 31) makes Calico the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 35 vs 7, Calico is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (35 vs 24) makes Calico the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 57 vs 35, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.