Beneath the Clouds vs Onyx
Both from Benjamin Moore's palette. Beneath the Clouds reads as blue-grey, while Onyx reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Beneath the Clouds (LRV 42) reflects noticeably more light than Onyx (LRV 5), a difference of 37 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Beneath the Clouds runs blue while Onyx is decidedly red, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 49.4, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Beneath the Clouds vs Onyx in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Beneath the Clouds and Onyx 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
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The LRV gap is large enough that Beneath the Clouds will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Onyx would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Beneath the Clouds reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Onyx.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Beneath the Clouds reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Onyx.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Beneath the Clouds reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Onyx.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Beneath the Clouds will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Onyx would.
Color Details
Beneath the Clouds vs Onyx Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Beneath the Clouds on one side and Onyx 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.