Charcoal Slate vs Web Gray
Charcoal Slate (Benjamin Moore) and Web Gray (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 15 vs 13 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. Where Charcoal Slate leans blue, Web Gray reads neutral — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 1.1 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Charcoal Slate vs Web Gray in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Charcoal Slate and Web Gray 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. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
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. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
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. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
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. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Color Details
Charcoal Slate vs Web Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Charcoal Slate on one side and Web Gray 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.
At LRV 69 vs 15, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 15), opening up a space where Charcoal Slate encloses it.
Charcoal Slate reads slightly lighter (LRV 15 vs 6), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 15, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 15, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 15), opening up a space where Charcoal Slate encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 15, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 15), opening up a space where Charcoal Slate encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 15), opening up a space where Charcoal Slate encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 15, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (15 vs 4) makes Charcoal Slate the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 15), opening up a space where Charcoal Slate encloses it.
With LRVs of 15 and 13, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 15), opening up a space where Charcoal Slate encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 15, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (21 vs 15) makes Artichoke the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 15), opening up a space where Charcoal Slate encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 15), opening up a space where Charcoal Slate encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 15), opening up a space where Charcoal Slate encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 15, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 15 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Charcoal Slate reads slightly lighter (LRV 15 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 15), opening up a space where Charcoal Slate encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 15, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 15 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 15), opening up a space where Charcoal Slate encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 15, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.