Nickel vs Universal Black
Both from Benjamin Moore's palette. Hue-wise, Nickel belongs to the blue-grey family and Universal Black to the grey family. Nickel (LRV 39) reflects noticeably more light than Universal Black (LRV 5), a difference of 34 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Nickel runs blue while Universal Black is decidedly purple, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 47.3, 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.
Nickel vs Universal Black in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Nickel and Universal Black in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Nickel reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Universal Black.
Color Details
Nickel vs Universal Black Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Nickel on one side and Universal 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 Nickel comparisons
See how Nickel stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
