Coventry Gray vs Black grey

Coventry GrayBenjamin MoorevsBlack greyRAL ClassicΔE 54.8Very different colors

Coventry Gray (Benjamin Moore) and Black grey (RAL Classic) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Coventry Gray belongs to the grey family and Black grey to the blue-grey family. The 42-point LRV gap — 48 for Coventry Gray vs 6 for Black grey — means Coventry Gray will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 54.8 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Coventry Gray vs Black grey in Real Spaces

3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Coventry 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

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. Coventry Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black grey.

Coventry GrayBenjamin Moore Coventry Gray Living Room

@lcoudriet

Black greyRAL Classic Black grey 7021 living room

@dorfstadtvilla

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

Coventry GrayCoventry Gray Exterior

@cottageongaylelane

Black greyRAL Classic Black grey 7021 house exterior

@ebbandflow_home

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

Coventry GrayBenjamin Moore Coventry Gray Kitchen Cabinets

@cabinetpaintingco

Black greyRAL Classic 7021 kitchen cabinets paint review

@a.jak.agata

Color Details

Coventry Gray
Benjamin Moore · HC-169
Hex#B8BAB6
LRV48.2
BrandBenjamin Moore
NumberHC-169
UndertoneGreen
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessMedium
Black grey
RAL Classic · RAL 7021
Hex#2F3234
LRV6.5
BrandRAL Classic
NumberRAL 7021
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessDark

Coventry Gray vs Black grey Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Coventry 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 Coventry Gray comparisons

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

White Dove
Coventry Gray
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Coventry Gray
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite reads noticeably lighter

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

Coventry Gray is the lighter choice

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

Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter

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

Coventry Gray reads noticeably lighter

Mizzle
Coventry Gray
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle reads slightly lighter

Agreeable Gray
Coventry Gray
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray reads noticeably lighter

Denim Drift
Coventry Gray
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Coventry Gray reads noticeably lighter

Tranquil Dawn
Coventry Gray
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn reads slightly lighter

Balboa Mist
Coventry Gray
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist reads noticeably lighter

Vintage Vogue
Coventry Gray
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Coventry Gray is the lighter choice

Pale Green
Coventry Gray
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Coventry Gray reads noticeably lighter

Pine Needle
Coventry Gray
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Coventry Gray is the lighter choice

Cement grey
Coventry Gray
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Coventry Gray reads noticeably lighter

Piazza
Coventry Gray
Piazza
Tikkurila
Piazza
LRV 65

Piazza reads noticeably lighter

Humble Yellow
Coventry Gray
Humble Yellow
Jotun
Humble Yellow
LRV 57

Humble Yellow reads slightly lighter

Grey Blue
Coventry Gray
Grey Blue
RAL ClassicClassic
Grey Blue
LRV 7

Coventry Gray is the lighter choice

Windmill Lane
Coventry Gray
Windmill Lane
Little Greene
Windmill Lane
LRV 31

Coventry Gray reads noticeably lighter

Senses
Coventry Gray
Senses
Jotun
Senses
LRV 41

Coventry Gray reads slightly lighter

Lamp Black
Coventry Gray
Lamp Black
Little Greene
Lamp Black
LRV 3

Coventry Gray is the lighter choice

Washed Linen
Coventry Gray
Washed Linen
Jotun
Washed Linen
LRV 55

Washed Linen reads slightly lighter

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

Coventry Gray is the lighter choice

Thames Fog
Coventry Gray
Thames Fog
Valspar
Thames Fog
LRV 27

Coventry Gray reads noticeably lighter

Ocean Abyss
Coventry Gray
Ocean Abyss
Behr
Ocean Abyss
LRV 7

Coventry Gray is the lighter choice

Classic Silver
Coventry Gray
Classic Silver
Behr
Classic Silver
LRV 48

Nearly identical in tone

Teton Blue
Coventry Gray
Teton Blue
Behr
Teton Blue
LRV 31

Coventry Gray reads noticeably lighter

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

RAL 110-2 reads noticeably lighter

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

RAL 110-1 is the lighter choice

Paper
Coventry Gray
Paper
Tikkurila
Paper
LRV 88

Paper is the lighter choice

Passageway
Coventry Gray
Passageway
Valspar
Passageway
LRV 14

Coventry Gray is the lighter choice