Gray Owl vs Onyx
Both from Benjamin Moore's palette. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. Gray Owl (LRV 65) reflects noticeably more light than Onyx (LRV 5), a difference of 60 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Gray Owl runs yellow while Onyx is decidedly red, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 63.0, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Gray Owl vs Onyx in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Gray Owl and Onyx 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
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The LRV gap is large enough that Gray Owl will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Onyx would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Gray Owl reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Onyx.
Color Details
Gray Owl vs Onyx Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Gray Owl on one side and Onyx 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.