Charcoal Slate vs De Nimes
Charcoal Slate (Benjamin Moore) and De Nimes (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Charcoal Slate belongs to the grey family and De Nimes to the blue-grey family. The 4-point LRV gap — 19 for De Nimes vs 15 for Charcoal Slate — means De Nimes will open up a space more effectively. Where Charcoal Slate leans blue, De Nimes reads cool — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. ΔE 9.3 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Charcoal Slate vs De Nimes in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Charcoal Slate and De Nimes 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. De Nimes reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. De Nimes has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. De Nimes has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. De Nimes has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
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. De Nimes 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. De Nimes has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Charcoal Slate vs De Nimes Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Charcoal Slate on one side and De Nimes 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 Charcoal Slate comparisons
See how Charcoal Slate stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
