Cheating Heart vs Black Magic
Cheating Heart (Benjamin Moore) and Black Magic (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. The 6-point LRV gap — 9 for Cheating Heart vs 3 for Black Magic — means Cheating Heart will open up a space more effectively. Where Cheating Heart leans blue, Black Magic reads neutral — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 12.3 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 7 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Cheating Heart vs Black Magic in Real Spaces
7 real rooms side by side. Seeing Cheating Heart and Black Magic 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. Cheating Heart reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Cheating Heart has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The brightness difference is modest but present — Cheating Heart gives the walls a little more lift.
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. Cheating Heart 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. Cheating Heart 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. Cheating Heart 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. Cheating Heart has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Cheating Heart vs Black Magic Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cheating Heart on one side and Black Magic 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 Cheating Heart comparisons
See how Cheating Heart stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
