Thistle Gray vs Skimming Stone

Thistle Gray is a Cloverdale Paint color while Skimming Stone comes from Farrow & Ball. These are both beige-greiges, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within beige-greige to land. At LRV 68 vs 49, Skimming Stone will read as the brighter of the two — a 19-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 11.3, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Thistle Gray vs Skimming Stone in Real Spaces

4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Thistle Gray and Skimming Stone 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

Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. Skimming Stone returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Thistle GrayThistle Gray 0197 by Cloverdale Paint — Living Room

@visualization

Skimming StoneFarrow and Ball Skimming Stone 241 living room

@crosspool_eclectic

Bedroom

Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Skimming Stone will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Thistle Gray would.

Thistle GrayThistle Gray 0197 by Cloverdale Paint — Bedroom

@visualization

Skimming StoneFarrow and Ball Skimming Stone 241 bedroom

@theedinburghtenement

Kitchen

Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The LRV gap is large enough that Skimming Stone will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Thistle Gray would.

Thistle GrayThistle Gray 0197 by Cloverdale Paint — Kitchen

@visualization

Skimming StoneFarrow and Ball Skimming Stone 241 kitchen

@home_at_eden_gardens

Bathroom

Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The LRV gap is large enough that Skimming Stone will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Thistle Gray would.

Thistle GrayThistle Gray 0197 by Cloverdale Paint — Bathroom

@visualization

Skimming StoneFarrow and Ball Skimming Stone 241 bathroom

@hawkinskb

Color Details

Thistle Gray
Cloverdale Paint · 0197
LRV49.0
BrandCloverdale Paint
Number0197
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessMedium
Skimming Stone
Farrow & Ball · 241
LRV68.1
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number241
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessLight

Thistle Gray vs Skimming Stone Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Thistle Gray on one side and Skimming Stone 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 Thistle Gray comparisons

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

Thistle Gray
Ammonite
Thistle Gray
Ammonite
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 49), opening up a space where Thistle Gray encloses it.

White Dove
Thistle Gray
White Dove
Thistle Gray
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49

At LRV 83 vs 49, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.

Thistle Gray
Iron Ore
Thistle Gray
Iron Ore
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49

At LRV 49 vs 6, Thistle Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Thistle Gray
Purbeck Stone
Thistle Gray
Purbeck Stone
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49

With LRVs of 52 and 49, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

Thistle Gray
Evergreen Fog
Thistle Gray
Evergreen Fog
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49

Thistle Gray reflects far more light (LRV 49 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.

Thistle Gray
Mizzle
Thistle Gray
Mizzle
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 52 vs 49), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Thistle Gray
Agreeable Gray
Thistle Gray
Agreeable Gray
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49

Agreeable Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 49), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Thistle Gray
Accessible Beige
Thistle Gray
Accessible Beige
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49

A 9-point LRV gap (58 vs 49) makes Accessible Beige the marginally brighter of the two.

Thistle Gray
Denim Drift
Thistle Gray
Denim Drift
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49

At LRV 49 vs 27, Thistle Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Thistle Gray
French Gray
Thistle Gray
French Gray
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49

Thistle Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 49 vs 43), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Thistle Gray
Naval
Thistle Gray
Naval
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

Thistle Gray reflects far more light (LRV 49 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.

Thistle Gray
Tranquil Dawn
Thistle Gray
Tranquil Dawn
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49

A 6-point LRV gap (55 vs 49) makes Tranquil Dawn the marginally brighter of the two.

Thistle Gray
Bancha
Thistle Gray
Bancha
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

At LRV 49 vs 13, Thistle Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Thistle Gray
Hardwick White
Thistle Gray
Hardwick White
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49

A 5-point LRV gap (49 vs 44) makes Thistle Gray the marginally brighter of the two.

Thistle Gray
Pure White
Thistle Gray
Pure White
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49

Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 49), opening up a space where Thistle Gray encloses it.

Thistle Gray
Artichoke
Thistle Gray
Artichoke
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

Thistle Gray reflects far more light (LRV 49 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.

Balboa Mist
Thistle Gray
Balboa Mist
Thistle Gray
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49

At LRV 66 vs 49, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.

Thistle Gray
Shoji White
Thistle Gray
Shoji White
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49

At LRV 74 vs 49, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.

Thistle Gray
Snowbound
Thistle Gray
Snowbound
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

At LRV 83 vs 49, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.

Thistle Gray
Pigeon
Thistle Gray
Pigeon
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49
Farrow & Ball
Pigeon
LRV 51

With LRVs of 51 and 49, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

Thistle Gray
Pewter Green
Thistle Gray
Pewter Green
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49

At LRV 49 vs 12, Thistle Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Thistle Gray
Duck Green
Thistle Gray
Duck Green
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49

At LRV 49 vs 8, Thistle Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Thistle Gray
Dix Blue
Thistle Gray
Dix Blue
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

Thistle Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 49 vs 41), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Thistle Gray
Hicks' Blue
Thistle Gray
Hicks' Blue
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49

Thistle Gray vs Hicks' Blue

Thistle Gray
Slaked Lime Deep
Thistle Gray
Slaked Lime Deep

Thistle Gray vs Slaked Lime Deep

Vintage Vogue
Thistle Gray
Vintage Vogue
Thistle Gray
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49

At LRV 49 vs 12, Thistle Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Thistle Gray
Livid
Thistle Gray
Livid
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49

Thistle Gray vs Livid

Saybrook Sage
Thistle Gray
Saybrook Sage
Thistle Gray
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49

A 4-point LRV gap (49 vs 45) makes Thistle Gray the marginally brighter of the two.

Thistle Gray
Pale Green
Thistle Gray
Pale Green
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Thistle Gray reflects far more light (LRV 49 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.

Thistle Gray
Pine Needle
Thistle Gray
Pine Needle
Cloverdale Paint
Thistle Gray
0197 · LRV 49

Thistle Gray reflects far more light (LRV 49 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.