Craftsman Brown vs Wheat Penny
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Craftsman Brown belongs to the beige-greige family and Wheat Penny to the beige family. Craftsman Brown (LRV 31) reflects noticeably more light than Wheat Penny (LRV 18), a difference of 13 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean warm, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. With a ΔE of 15.7, 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.
Craftsman Brown vs Wheat Penny in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Craftsman Brown and Wheat Penny 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 Craftsman Brown will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Wheat Penny would.
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. Craftsman Brown reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Wheat Penny.
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 Craftsman Brown will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Wheat Penny would.
Color Details
Craftsman Brown vs Wheat Penny Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Craftsman Brown on one side and Wheat Penny 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 Craftsman Brown comparisons
See how Craftsman Brown stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 31), opening up a space where Craftsman Brown encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 31, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 31 vs 6, Craftsman Brown is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 31), opening up a space where Craftsman Brown encloses it.
With LRVs of 31 and 30, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 52 vs 31, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 31), opening up a space where Craftsman Brown encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 31, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (31 vs 27) makes Craftsman Brown the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 31), opening up a space where Craftsman Brown encloses it.
Craftsman Brown reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 31, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 31 vs 13, Craftsman Brown is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 31, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 31), opening up a space where Craftsman Brown encloses it.
Craftsman Brown reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 31, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 31, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 31, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 31), opening up a space where Craftsman Brown encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 12, Craftsman Brown is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 31 vs 8, Craftsman Brown is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 31, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 41 vs 31), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 31 vs 12, Craftsman Brown is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 31, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 31 and 31, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.