Calico vs Paper
Calico (Sherwin-Williams) and Paper (Tikkurila) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Calico belongs to the blue-green family and Paper to the beige-greige family. The 54-point LRV gap — 88 for Paper vs 35 for Calico — means Paper will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 31.4 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 Paper in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Calico and Paper 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. Paper reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Calico.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Paper returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Calico vs Paper Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Calico on one side and Paper 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.
