Arctic Willow vs Thames Fog

Arctic WillowTikkurilavsThames FogValsparΔE 4.7Noticeable difference

Arctic Willow (Tikkurila) and Thames Fog (Valspar) come from different manufacturers. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. The 5-point LRV gap — 33 for Arctic Willow vs 27 for Thames Fog — means Arctic Willow will open up a space more effectively. ΔE 4.7 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Arctic Willow vs Thames Fog in Real Spaces

3 real rooms side by side. Arctic Willow and Thames Fog are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.

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. Arctic Willow reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.

Arctic WillowTikkurila Arctic Willow M495 accent wall

@kauralyhde

Thames FogValspar Thames Fog living room inspiration

@melaniejadedesign

Bedroom

Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Arctic Willow has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.

Arctic WillowTikkurila Arctic Willow M495 bedroom

@elina.hyttinen

Thames FogValspar Thames Fog bedroom review

@thelancashireterrace

Kitchen Cabinets

Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. Arctic Willow has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.

Arctic WillowTikkurila Arctic Willow M495 kitchen cabinets

@lumpuilumpui

Thames FogValspar Thames Fog kitchen cabinets

@bh_paintingdecorating

Color Details

Arctic Willow
Tikkurila · M495
Hex#9A9C90
LRV32.5
BrandTikkurila
NumberM495
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessMedium
Thames Fog
Valspar · V144-5
Hex#8f9082
LRV27.4
BrandValspar
NumberV144-5
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessMedium

Arctic Willow vs Thames Fog Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Arctic Willow on one side and Thames Fog on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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 Arctic Willow comparisons

See how Arctic Willow stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
Arctic Willow
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Arctic Willow
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
Arctic Willow
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Arctic Willow is the lighter choice

Purbeck Stone
Arctic Willow
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone reads noticeably lighter

Evergreen Fog
Arctic Willow
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Nearly identical in tone

Mizzle
Arctic Willow
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle reads noticeably lighter

Agreeable Gray
Arctic Willow
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray is the lighter choice

Accessible Beige
Arctic Willow
Accessible Beige
Sherwin-Williams
Accessible Beige
LRV 58

Accessible Beige is the lighter choice

Denim Drift
Arctic Willow
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Arctic Willow reads slightly lighter

French Gray
Arctic Willow
French Gray
Farrow & Ball
French Gray
LRV 43

French Gray reads slightly lighter

Naval
Arctic Willow
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

Arctic Willow is the lighter choice

Tranquil Dawn
Arctic Willow
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn reads noticeably lighter

Bancha
Arctic Willow
Bancha
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

Arctic Willow reads noticeably lighter

Hardwick White
Arctic Willow
Hardwick White
Farrow & Ball
Hardwick White
LRV 44

Hardwick White reads slightly lighter

Pure White
Arctic Willow
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams
Pure White
LRV 84

Pure White is the lighter choice

Artichoke
Arctic Willow
Artichoke
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

Arctic Willow reads slightly lighter

Balboa Mist
Arctic Willow
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Shoji White
Arctic Willow
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams
Shoji White
LRV 74

Shoji White is the lighter choice

Snowbound
Arctic Willow
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound is the lighter choice

Pewter Green
Arctic Willow
Pewter Green
Sherwin-Williams
Pewter Green
LRV 12

Arctic Willow reads noticeably lighter

Skimming Stone
Arctic Willow
Skimming Stone
Farrow & Ball
Skimming Stone
LRV 68

Skimming Stone is the lighter choice

Dix Blue
Arctic Willow
Dix Blue
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

Dix Blue reads slightly lighter

Calamine
Arctic Willow
Calamine
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68

Calamine is the lighter choice

Treron
Arctic Willow
Treron
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25

Arctic Willow reads slightly lighter

Vintage Vogue
Arctic Willow
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Arctic Willow reads noticeably lighter

Saybrook Sage
Arctic Willow
Saybrook Sage
Benjamin Moore
Saybrook Sage
LRV 45

Saybrook Sage reads noticeably lighter

Pale Green
Arctic Willow
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Nearly identical in tone

Pine Needle
Arctic Willow
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Arctic Willow is the lighter choice

Cement grey
Arctic Willow
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Arctic Willow reads slightly lighter

Guilford Green
Arctic Willow
Guilford Green
Benjamin Moore
Guilford Green
LRV 57

Guilford Green reads noticeably lighter