Pointing vs S 0502-Y
Pointing (Farrow & Ball) and S 0502-Y (NCS) come from different manufacturers. Both sit in the beige family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 88 vs 87 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. Both share a warm character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. A ΔE of 1.7 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Pointing vs S 0502-Y in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Pointing and S 0502-Y 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. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Color Details
Pointing vs S 0502-Y Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Pointing on one side and S 0502-Y 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 Pointing comparisons
See how Pointing stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
A 5-point LRV gap (88 vs 83) makes Pointing the marginally brighter of the two.
Pointing reflects far more light (LRV 88 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Pointing reflects far more light (LRV 88 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Pointing reflects far more light (LRV 88 vs 60), opening up a space where Agreeable Gray encloses it.
At LRV 88 vs 58, Pointing is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 88 vs 27, Pointing is decisively the brighter choice.
Pointing reflects far more light (LRV 88 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
At LRV 88 vs 55, Pointing is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 88 vs 44, Pointing is decisively the brighter choice.
Pointing reads slightly lighter (LRV 88 vs 84), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 88 vs 66, Pointing is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 88 vs 74, Pointing is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 88 vs 12, Pointing is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 88 vs 8, Pointing is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 88 vs 68, Pointing is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 88 vs 12, Pointing is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 88 vs 45, Pointing is decisively the brighter choice.
Pointing reflects far more light (LRV 88 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.