Onyx vs Sand
Where Onyx belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Sand is a Jotun color. Hue-wise, Onyx belongs to the grey family and Sand to the beige-greige family. Sand (LRV 56) reflects noticeably more light than Onyx (LRV 5), a difference of 51 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Onyx runs red while Sand is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 58.9, 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.
Onyx vs Sand in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Onyx and Sand 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 Sand will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Onyx would.
Color Details
Onyx vs Sand Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Onyx on one side and Sand 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 Onyx comparisons
See how Onyx stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
