Underwater vs Black grey
Underwater (Behr) and Black grey (RAL Classic) come from different manufacturers. These are both blue-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue-grey to land. The 4-point LRV gap — 11 for Underwater vs 6 for Black grey — means Underwater will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 20.1 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Underwater vs Black grey in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Underwater and Black grey 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
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. Underwater reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Front Door
On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. Underwater reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Underwater has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Underwater vs Black grey Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Underwater on one side and Black grey 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 Underwater comparisons
See how Underwater stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
