Midnight Blue vs Black grey

Midnight BlueBenjamin MoorevsBlack greyRAL ClassicΔE 12.4Distinct difference

Where Midnight Blue belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Black grey is a RAL Classic color. Both sit in the blue-grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (8 vs 6), so they'll read as similarly Dark in most lighting conditions. With a ΔE of 12.4, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Midnight Blue vs Black grey in Real Spaces

2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Midnight Blue 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.

House

Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.

Midnight BlueBenjamin Moore Midnight Blue house exterior color

@herbertpainting

Black greyRAL Classic Black grey 7021 house exterior

@ebbandflow_home

Kitchen Cabinets

Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.

Midnight BlueMidnight Blue kitchen cabinets paint

@tobias_designllc

Black greyRAL Classic 7021 kitchen cabinets paint review

@a.jak.agata

Color Details

Midnight Blue
Benjamin Moore · 1638
Hex#494E52
LRV8.2
BrandBenjamin Moore
Number1638
UndertoneBlue
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessDark
Black grey
RAL Classic · RAL 7021
Hex#2F3234
LRV6.5
BrandRAL Classic
NumberRAL 7021
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessDark

Midnight Blue vs Black grey Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Midnight Blue 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 Midnight Blue comparisons

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

White Dove
Midnight Blue
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Midnight Blue
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
Midnight Blue
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Nearly identical in tone

Purbeck Stone
Midnight Blue
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone is the lighter choice

Evergreen Fog
Midnight Blue
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Evergreen Fog reads noticeably lighter

Mizzle
Midnight Blue
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle is the lighter choice

Agreeable Gray
Midnight Blue
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray is the lighter choice

Denim Drift
Midnight Blue
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Denim Drift reads noticeably lighter

Tranquil Dawn
Midnight Blue
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn is the lighter choice

Balboa Mist
Midnight Blue
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Vintage Vogue
Midnight Blue
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Vintage Vogue reads slightly lighter

Pale Green
Midnight Blue
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Pale Green reads noticeably lighter

Pine Needle
Midnight Blue
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Nearly identical in tone

Cement grey
Midnight Blue
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Cement grey reads noticeably lighter

Piazza
Midnight Blue
Piazza
Tikkurila
Piazza
LRV 65

Piazza is the lighter choice

Humble Yellow
Midnight Blue
Humble Yellow
Jotun
Humble Yellow
LRV 57

Humble Yellow is the lighter choice

Grey Blue
Midnight Blue
Grey Blue
RAL ClassicClassic
Grey Blue
LRV 7

Nearly identical in tone

Windmill Lane
Midnight Blue
Windmill Lane
Little Greene
Windmill Lane
LRV 31

Windmill Lane reads noticeably lighter

Senses
Midnight Blue
Senses
Jotun
Senses
LRV 41

Senses is the lighter choice

Lamp Black
Midnight Blue
Lamp Black
Little Greene
Lamp Black
LRV 3

Midnight Blue reads slightly lighter

Washed Linen
Midnight Blue
Washed Linen
Jotun
Washed Linen
LRV 55

Washed Linen is the lighter choice

Tea with Florence
Midnight Blue
Tea with Florence
Little Greene
Tea with Florence
LRV 18

Tea with Florence reads slightly lighter

Thames Fog
Midnight Blue
Thames Fog
Valspar
Thames Fog
LRV 27

Thames Fog reads noticeably lighter

Ocean Abyss
Midnight Blue
Ocean Abyss
Behr
Ocean Abyss
LRV 7

Nearly identical in tone

Classic Silver
Midnight Blue
Classic Silver
Behr
Classic Silver
LRV 48

Classic Silver is the lighter choice

Teton Blue
Midnight Blue
Teton Blue
Behr
Teton Blue
LRV 31

Teton Blue reads noticeably lighter

RAL 110-2
Midnight Blue
RAL 110-2
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-2
LRV 72

RAL 110-2 is the lighter choice

RAL 110-1
Midnight Blue
RAL 110-1
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-1
LRV 80

RAL 110-1 is the lighter choice

Paper
Midnight Blue
Paper
Tikkurila
Paper
LRV 88

Paper is the lighter choice

Passageway
Midnight Blue
Passageway
Valspar
Passageway
LRV 14

Passageway reads slightly lighter