Old White vs Pigeon

Old WhiteFarrow & BallvsPigeonFarrow & BallΔE 15.0 — Distinct difference

Both are Farrow & Ball colors. Old White reads as beige-greige, while Pigeon reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. At LRV 55 vs 51, Old White will read as the brighter of the two — a 4-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. The tonal difference — Old White's warm character against Pigeon's neutral — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 15.0, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Old White vs Pigeon in Real Spaces

6 real rooms side by side. Seeing Old White and Pigeon 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. Old White has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.

Old WhiteFarrow and Ball Old White 4 living room

@grace.athome

PigeonFarrow and Ball Pigeon living room inspiration

@1930s_doer_upper

Bedroom

Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The brightness difference is modest but present — Old White gives the walls a little more lift.

Old WhiteFarrow and Ball Old White 4 bedroom

@churchcottagenorfolk

PigeonPigeon bedroom

@thomassandersonltd

Bathroom

Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The brightness difference is modest but present — Old White gives the walls a little more lift.

Old WhiteFarrow and Ball Old White bathroom paint review

@deltapropertysolutions

PigeonFarrow and Ball Pigeon bathroom paint review

@theharrogate_storys

House

At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The brightness difference is modest but present — Old White gives the walls a little more lift.

Old WhiteFarrow and Ball Old White 4 exterior

@ourwiltshirenest

PigeonFarrow and Ball Pigeon 25 garage door

@cjg_home

Front Door

Front doors are seen in isolation against the rest of the facade, which makes them a high-stakes surface where even subtle differences matter. Old White has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.

Old WhiteFarrow and Ball Old White 4 front door

@ourvictorianonthehill

PigeonPigeon front door

@newbuildinspire

Kitchen Cabinets

On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. The brightness difference is modest but present — Old White gives the walls a little more lift.

Old WhiteFarrow and Ball Old White 4 kitchen cabinets

@dani_airbnb_former_host_

PigeonFarrow and Ball Pigeon kitchen cabinets review

@portree.kitchens

Color Details

Old White
Farrow & Ball · 4
LRV54.9
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number4
Undertone—
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessMedium
Pigeon
Farrow & Ball · 25
LRV50.6
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number25
Undertone—
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessMedium

Old White vs Pigeon Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Old White on one side and Pigeon 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 Old White comparisons

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

Ammonite
Old White
Ammonite
Old White
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69
Farrow & Ball
Old White
4 · LRV 55

At LRV 69 vs 55, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.

White Dove
Old White
White Dove
Old White
Farrow & Ball
Old White
4 · LRV 55

White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 55), opening up a space where Old White encloses it.

Old White
Iron Ore
Old White
Iron Ore
Farrow & Ball
Old White
4 · LRV 55

Old White reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.

Old White
Purbeck Stone
Old White
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Old White
4 · LRV 55

A 3-point LRV gap (55 vs 52) makes Old White the marginally brighter of the two.

Old White
Evergreen Fog
Old White
Evergreen Fog
Farrow & Ball
Old White
4 · LRV 55

At LRV 55 vs 30, Old White is decisively the brighter choice.

Mizzle
Old White
Mizzle
Old White
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52
Farrow & Ball
Old White
4 · LRV 55

Old White reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Old White
Agreeable Gray
Old White
Agreeable Gray
Farrow & Ball
Old White
4 · LRV 55

A 5-point LRV gap (60 vs 55) makes Agreeable Gray the marginally brighter of the two.

Old White
Accessible Beige
Old White
Accessible Beige
Farrow & Ball
Old White
4 · LRV 55

With LRVs of 58 and 55, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

Denim Drift
Old White
Denim Drift
Old White
Farrow & Ball
Old White
4 · LRV 55

Old White reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.

French Gray
Old White
French Gray
Old White
Farrow & Ball
Old White
4 · LRV 55

A 12-point LRV gap (55 vs 43) makes Old White the marginally brighter of the two.

Old White
Naval
Old White
Naval
Farrow & Ball
Old White
4 · LRV 55
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

At LRV 55 vs 4, Old White is decisively the brighter choice.

Tranquil Dawn
Old White
Tranquil Dawn
Old White
Farrow & Ball
Old White
4 · LRV 55

With LRVs of 55 and 55, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

Bancha
Old White
Bancha
Old White
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13
Farrow & Ball
Old White
4 · LRV 55

Old White reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.

Hardwick White
Old White
Hardwick White
Old White
Farrow & Ball
Old White
4 · LRV 55

Old White reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 44), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Old White
Pure White
Old White
Pure White
Farrow & Ball
Old White
4 · LRV 55

At LRV 84 vs 55, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.

Old White
Artichoke
Old White
Artichoke
Farrow & Ball
Old White
4 · LRV 55
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

At LRV 55 vs 21, Old White is decisively the brighter choice.

Balboa Mist
Old White
Balboa Mist
Old White
Farrow & Ball
Old White
4 · LRV 55

Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter (LRV 66 vs 55), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Old White
Shoji White
Old White
Shoji White
Farrow & Ball
Old White
4 · LRV 55

Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 55), opening up a space where Old White encloses it.

Old White
Snowbound
Old White
Snowbound
Farrow & Ball
Old White
4 · LRV 55
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 55), opening up a space where Old White encloses it.

Old White
Pewter Green
Old White
Pewter Green
Farrow & Ball
Old White
4 · LRV 55

Old White reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.

Duck Green
Old White
Duck Green
Old White
Farrow & Ball
Old White
4 · LRV 55

Old White reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.

Old White
Skimming Stone
Old White
Skimming Stone
Farrow & Ball
Old White
4 · LRV 55

Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 55), opening up a space where Old White encloses it.

Dix Blue
Old White
Dix Blue
Old White
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41
Farrow & Ball
Old White
4 · LRV 55

At LRV 55 vs 41, Old White is decisively the brighter choice.

Old White
Hicks' Blue
Old White
Hicks' Blue

Old White vs Hicks' Blue

Old White
Slaked Lime Deep
Old White
Slaked Lime Deep

Old White vs Slaked Lime Deep

Vintage Vogue
Old White
Vintage Vogue
Old White
Farrow & Ball
Old White
4 · LRV 55

Old White reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.

Old White
Livid
Old White
Livid
Farrow & Ball
Old White
4 · LRV 55

Old White vs Livid

Saybrook Sage
Old White
Saybrook Sage
Old White
Farrow & Ball
Old White
4 · LRV 55

Old White reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Old White
Pale Green
Old White
Pale Green
Farrow & Ball
Old White
4 · LRV 55
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

At LRV 55 vs 31, Old White is decisively the brighter choice.

Pine Needle
Old White
Pine Needle
Old White
Farrow & Ball
Old White
4 · LRV 55

At LRV 55 vs 7, Old White is decisively the brighter choice.