Boothbay Gray vs Black grey

Boothbay GrayBenjamin MoorevsBlack greyRAL ClassicΔE 51.4Very different colors

Boothbay Gray is a Benjamin Moore color while Black grey comes from RAL Classic. Hue-wise, Boothbay Gray belongs to the blue-green family and Black grey to the blue-grey family. At LRV 43 vs 6, Boothbay Gray will read as the brighter of the two — a 37-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 51.4, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Boothbay Gray vs Black grey in Real Spaces

4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Boothbay Gray 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

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. Boothbay Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Boothbay GrayBenjamin Moore Boothbay Gray Living Room

@bratzillatex

Black greyRAL Classic Black grey 7021 living room

@dorfstadtvilla

House

At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Boothbay Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black grey would.

Boothbay GrayHc-165 House Exterior

@nikkidesigns

Black greyRAL Classic Black grey 7021 house exterior

@ebbandflow_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. Boothbay Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Boothbay GrayHc-165 Front Door

@drivenbydecor

Black greyRAL Classic Black grey 7021 front door

@doing_up_the_doer_upper

Kitchen Cabinets

On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. The LRV gap is large enough that Boothbay Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black grey would.

Boothbay GrayHc-165 Kitchen Cabinets

@maddoxinthemiddle

Black greyRAL Classic 7021 kitchen cabinets paint review

@a.jak.agata

Color Details

Boothbay Gray
Benjamin Moore · HC-165
Hex#AAB2B0
LRV43.3
BrandBenjamin Moore
NumberHC-165
UndertoneGreen
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessMedium
Black grey
RAL Classic · RAL 7021
Hex#2F3234
LRV6.5
BrandRAL Classic
NumberRAL 7021
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessDark

Boothbay Gray vs Black grey Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Boothbay Gray on one side and Black grey 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 Boothbay Gray comparisons

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

White Dove
Boothbay Gray
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Boothbay Gray
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
Boothbay Gray
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Boothbay Gray is the lighter choice

Purbeck Stone
Boothbay Gray
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter

Evergreen Fog
Boothbay Gray
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Boothbay Gray reads noticeably lighter

Mizzle
Boothbay Gray
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle reads slightly lighter

Agreeable Gray
Boothbay Gray
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray reads noticeably lighter

Denim Drift
Boothbay Gray
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Boothbay Gray reads noticeably lighter

Tranquil Dawn
Boothbay Gray
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn reads slightly lighter

Balboa Mist
Boothbay Gray
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist reads noticeably lighter

Vintage Vogue
Boothbay Gray
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Boothbay Gray is the lighter choice

Pale Green
Boothbay Gray
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Boothbay Gray reads noticeably lighter

Pine Needle
Boothbay Gray
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Boothbay Gray is the lighter choice

Cement grey
Boothbay Gray
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Boothbay Gray reads noticeably lighter

Piazza
Boothbay Gray
Piazza
Tikkurila
Piazza
LRV 65

Piazza reads noticeably lighter

Humble Yellow
Boothbay Gray
Humble Yellow
Jotun
Humble Yellow
LRV 57

Humble Yellow reads noticeably lighter

Grey Blue
Boothbay Gray
Grey Blue
RAL ClassicClassic
Grey Blue
LRV 7

Boothbay Gray is the lighter choice

Windmill Lane
Boothbay Gray
Windmill Lane
Little Greene
Windmill Lane
LRV 31

Boothbay Gray reads noticeably lighter

Senses
Boothbay Gray
Senses
Jotun
Senses
LRV 41

Nearly identical in tone

Lamp Black
Boothbay Gray
Lamp Black
Little Greene
Lamp Black
LRV 3

Boothbay Gray is the lighter choice

Washed Linen
Boothbay Gray
Washed Linen
Jotun
Washed Linen
LRV 55

Washed Linen reads slightly lighter

Tea with Florence
Boothbay Gray
Tea with Florence
Little Greene
Tea with Florence
LRV 18

Boothbay Gray is the lighter choice

Thames Fog
Boothbay Gray
Thames Fog
Valspar
Thames Fog
LRV 27

Boothbay Gray reads noticeably lighter

Ocean Abyss
Boothbay Gray
Ocean Abyss
Behr
Ocean Abyss
LRV 7

Boothbay Gray is the lighter choice

Classic Silver
Boothbay Gray
Classic Silver
Behr
Classic Silver
LRV 48

Classic Silver reads slightly lighter

Teton Blue
Boothbay Gray
Teton Blue
Behr
Teton Blue
LRV 31

Boothbay Gray reads noticeably lighter

RAL 110-2
Boothbay Gray
RAL 110-2
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-2
LRV 72

RAL 110-2 is the lighter choice

RAL 110-1
Boothbay Gray
RAL 110-1
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-1
LRV 80

RAL 110-1 is the lighter choice

Paper
Boothbay Gray
Paper
Tikkurila
Paper
LRV 88

Paper is the lighter choice

Passageway
Boothbay Gray
Passageway
Valspar
Passageway
LRV 14

Boothbay Gray is the lighter choice