Farrow & Ball Green SmokevsFarrow & Ball Card Room Green
Why this comparison: Both smoky F&B greens; Card Room Green is the grayer, quieter one. Green Smoke and Card Room Green are close but distinct (ΔE 8.01). Visible difference on the wall, especially in flat daylight.
Built from our full reviews of both colors — same measured data, same real-room photos. About the testing process →
The Numbers
Card Room Green is slightly lighter (LRV 26 vs 19, 7-point delta).
What Each Color Really Is
Green Smoke (No. 47) reads as green / cool at LRV 19 — dark, dramatic.
Card Room Green is Farrow & Ball No. 79, one of the oldest colors in the archive. The name comes from the card rooms of Georgian and Victorian country houses — the small, dimly lit rooms set aside for playing cards after dinner, decorated in a green chosen to sit comfortably under candlelight rather than to look bright at noon. Farrow & Ball's own description calls it a dark grey green, "unapologetic in its strength" — an honest label. This is not a whisper-of-green neutral; it reads as a genuine color, closer to English hunting-lodge and library greens than to the pale modern sage trend.
At LRV 26 it sits deeper than most cabinet sages — lighter than Sherwin-Williams Retreat and Dried Thyme (both LRV 21), but noticeably darker than a room-filling sage like Benjamin Moore's October Mist (LRV 39) or Saybrook Sage (LRV 56). That depth is the whole character: on the paint chip it can look almost muted and gray; on four walls or a full run of cabinets it darkens further and reads as a genuine deep green, especially once the light drops. Expect the room to feel noticeably darker than the sample chip suggests — that gap is normal for any color this deep, and Farrow & Ball's own site recommends pairing it with a warm neutral or going tonal with the even darker Studio Green rather than trying to lighten it with white.
Specs Side by Side
| Spec | Green Smoke | Card Room Green |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Farrow & Ball | Farrow & Ball |
| SKU | No. 47 | No. 79 |
| Hex | #6F7B71 | #878F81 |
| RGB | 111, 123, 113 | 135, 143, 129 |
| LRV | 19 | 26 |
| Undertone | green / cool | green / cool |
| Family | Green | Green |
How Light Changes Them
With an LRV of 19, Green Smoke is a deep, dramatic shade. It soaks up light in north-facing rooms and looks richest where strong daylight hits it. Because it carries almost no measurable hue, it stays a true neutral and pairs cleanly with nearly any trim or floor. Warm artificial light softens it; cool LED can make it look flat, so match your bulbs to the mood you want.
Warm 2700K light is this color's natural habitat — the gray lifts and the green goes rich, almost bottle-green. This is the light the color was designed around.
Cool, dim daylight with no lamps flattens it to near-charcoal. If your room only gets this light, this is not the right green.
Warmer and greener at the sun hours, quieter and grayer the rest of the day. The shift is real but the color never reads bright.
2700K warm bulbs deepen it toward true green; cool 4000K-plus LEDs push it toward flat gray-black. Bulb choice matters more with this color than with almost any lighter neutral.
Both Colors in Real Rooms
Photos from our full reviews — the same rooms and captions, so you can judge each color where it actually lives, not on a chip.
When to Pick Which
Best when you want a cooler, more architectural read — pairs with chrome, steel, and crisp whites.
Studies, libraries and dens with a fire or lamps · kitchen islands, lower cabinets and butler's pantries · front doors and garden joinery · dining rooms used mostly at night · anyone who wants a serious, historic green instead of a soft modern sage
Your only light source is one small north window · you want a bright, leafy or minty green · your kitchen runs cool stainless steel and white quartz · you're painting an open, sunlit great room · you want one coat to cover
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Green Smoke vs Card Room Green FAQ
Which is lighter, Green Smoke or Card Room Green?
Card Room Green is lighter: LRV 26 vs 19. Card Room Green is slightly lighter (LRV 26 vs 19, 7-point delta).
Which is warmer, Green Smoke or Card Room Green?
They share the same undertone family — both read green / cool. The difference between them is lightness and depth, not temperature.
How similar are Green Smoke and Card Room Green?
Green Smoke and Card Room Green are close but distinct (ΔE 8.01). Visible difference on the wall, especially in flat daylight. The only reliable test is seeing both in your own room and light — a side-by-side on a screen or chip flattens the difference.
Can I use Green Smoke and Card Room Green together in one house?
Yes, in separate rooms. They are close enough to feel related but different enough to notice, so give each its own room and connect them with a shared trim white. Avoid putting them on adjoining walls.
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