Onyx vs Quartz grey
Where Onyx belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Quartz grey is a RAL Classic color. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Quartz grey (LRV 17) reflects noticeably more light than Onyx (LRV 5), a difference of 12 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 22.2, 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 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Onyx vs Quartz grey in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Onyx and Quartz 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. Quartz grey reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Onyx.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Quartz grey will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Onyx would.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Quartz grey reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Onyx.
Color Details
Onyx vs Quartz grey Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Onyx on one side and Quartz grey 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.
