Northern Cliffs vs Black grey

Northern CliffsBenjamin MoorevsBlack greyRAL ClassicΔE 54.0Very different colors

Northern Cliffs (Benjamin Moore) and Black grey (RAL Classic) come from different manufacturers. Northern Cliffs reads as greige-grey, while Black grey reads as blue-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 39-point LRV gap — 46 for Northern Cliffs vs 6 for Black grey — means Northern Cliffs will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 54.0 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Northern Cliffs vs Black grey in Real Spaces

1 real room side by side. Seeing Northern Cliffs 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.

Living Room

A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Northern Cliffs reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black grey.

Northern CliffsNorthern Cliffs living room paint review

@mrpaintnj

Black greyRAL Classic Black grey 7021 living room

@dorfstadtvilla

Color Details

Northern Cliffs
Benjamin Moore · 1536
Hex#BAB5A7
LRV45.5
BrandBenjamin Moore
Number1536
UndertoneYellow and Red
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessMedium
Black grey
RAL Classic · RAL 7021
Hex#2F3234
LRV6.5
BrandRAL Classic
NumberRAL 7021
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessDark

Northern Cliffs vs Black grey Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Northern Cliffs 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 Northern Cliffs comparisons

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

White Dove
Northern Cliffs
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Northern Cliffs
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite reads noticeably lighter

Iron Ore
Northern Cliffs
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Northern Cliffs is the lighter choice

Purbeck Stone
Northern Cliffs
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter

Evergreen Fog
Northern Cliffs
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Northern Cliffs reads noticeably lighter

Mizzle
Northern Cliffs
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle reads slightly lighter

Agreeable Gray
Northern Cliffs
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray reads noticeably lighter

Denim Drift
Northern Cliffs
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Northern Cliffs reads noticeably lighter

Tranquil Dawn
Northern Cliffs
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn reads slightly lighter

Balboa Mist
Northern Cliffs
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist reads noticeably lighter

Vintage Vogue
Northern Cliffs
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Northern Cliffs is the lighter choice

Pale Green
Northern Cliffs
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Northern Cliffs reads noticeably lighter

Pine Needle
Northern Cliffs
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Northern Cliffs is the lighter choice

Cement grey
Northern Cliffs
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Northern Cliffs reads noticeably lighter

Piazza
Northern Cliffs
Piazza
Tikkurila
Piazza
LRV 65

Piazza reads noticeably lighter

Humble Yellow
Northern Cliffs
Humble Yellow
Jotun
Humble Yellow
LRV 57

Humble Yellow reads slightly lighter

Grey Blue
Northern Cliffs
Grey Blue
RAL ClassicClassic
Grey Blue
LRV 7

Northern Cliffs is the lighter choice

Windmill Lane
Northern Cliffs
Windmill Lane
Little Greene
Windmill Lane
LRV 31

Northern Cliffs reads noticeably lighter

Senses
Northern Cliffs
Senses
Jotun
Senses
LRV 41

Northern Cliffs reads slightly lighter

Lamp Black
Northern Cliffs
Lamp Black
Little Greene
Lamp Black
LRV 3

Northern Cliffs is the lighter choice

Washed Linen
Northern Cliffs
Washed Linen
Jotun
Washed Linen
LRV 55

Washed Linen reads slightly lighter

Tea with Florence
Northern Cliffs
Tea with Florence
Little Greene
Tea with Florence
LRV 18

Northern Cliffs is the lighter choice

Thames Fog
Northern Cliffs
Thames Fog
Valspar
Thames Fog
LRV 27

Northern Cliffs reads noticeably lighter

Ocean Abyss
Northern Cliffs
Ocean Abyss
Behr
Ocean Abyss
LRV 7

Northern Cliffs is the lighter choice

Classic Silver
Northern Cliffs
Classic Silver
Behr
Classic Silver
LRV 48

Nearly identical in tone

Teton Blue
Northern Cliffs
Teton Blue
Behr
Teton Blue
LRV 31

Northern Cliffs reads noticeably lighter

RAL 110-2
Northern Cliffs
RAL 110-2
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-2
LRV 72

RAL 110-2 is the lighter choice

RAL 110-1
Northern Cliffs
RAL 110-1
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-1
LRV 80

RAL 110-1 is the lighter choice

Paper
Northern Cliffs
Paper
Tikkurila
Paper
LRV 88

Paper is the lighter choice

Passageway
Northern Cliffs
Passageway
Valspar
Passageway
LRV 14

Northern Cliffs is the lighter choice