Mauve Desert vs Lamp Black
Where Mauve Desert belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Lamp Black is a Little Greene color. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Mauve Desert (LRV 38) reflects noticeably more light than Lamp Black (LRV 3), a difference of 35 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Mauve Desert runs red while Lamp Black is decidedly purple, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 49.6, 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 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Mauve Desert vs Lamp Black in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Mauve Desert and Lamp Black in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Mauve Desert reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Lamp Black.
Color Details
Mauve Desert vs Lamp Black Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Mauve Desert on one side and Lamp Black 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 Mauve Desert comparisons
See how Mauve Desert stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
