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.
More Gray Owl comparisons
See how Gray Owl stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 65, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Gray Owl reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Gray Owl reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Gray Owl reads slightly lighter (LRV 65 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 7-point LRV gap (65 vs 58) makes Gray Owl the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 65 vs 27, Gray Owl is decisively the brighter choice.
Gray Owl reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
A 10-point LRV gap (65 vs 55) makes Gray Owl the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 65 vs 44, Gray Owl is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 65), opening up a space where Gray Owl encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 66 vs 65), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 10-point LRV gap (74 vs 65) makes Shoji White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 65 vs 12, Gray Owl is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 65 vs 8, Gray Owl is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (68 vs 65) makes Skimming Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 65 vs 12, Gray Owl is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 65 vs 45, Gray Owl is decisively the brighter choice.
Gray Owl reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.