Philipsburg Blue vs Black grey

Philipsburg BlueBenjamin MoorevsBlack greyRAL ClassicΔE 30.0Very different colors

Where Philipsburg Blue belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Black grey is a RAL Classic color. Philipsburg Blue reads as blue, while Black grey reads as blue-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Philipsburg Blue (LRV 19) reflects noticeably more light than Black grey (LRV 6), a difference of 13 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 30.0, 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.

Philipsburg Blue vs Black grey in Real Spaces

3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Philipsburg 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.

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 Philipsburg Blue will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black grey would.

Philipsburg BlueHc-159 Living Room

@simplycarolineharvey

Black greyRAL Classic Black grey 7021 living room

@dorfstadtvilla

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. Philipsburg Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black grey.

Philipsburg BlueHc-159 House Exterior

@myersconstructionllc

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. Philipsburg Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black grey.

Philipsburg BluePhilipsburg Blue Boho Kitchen Cabinets

@hellolisang

Black greyRAL Classic 7021 kitchen cabinets paint review

@a.jak.agata

Color Details

Philipsburg Blue
Benjamin Moore · HC-159
Hex#627885
LRV19.1
BrandBenjamin Moore
NumberHC-159
UndertoneBlue
TemperatureCool
BrightnessDark
Black grey
RAL Classic · RAL 7021
Hex#2F3234
LRV6.5
BrandRAL Classic
NumberRAL 7021
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessDark

Philipsburg Blue vs Black grey Simulated Comparison

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

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

White Dove
Philipsburg Blue
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Philipsburg Blue
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

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

Philipsburg Blue reads noticeably lighter

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

Purbeck Stone is the lighter choice

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

Evergreen Fog reads slightly lighter

Mizzle
Philipsburg Blue
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle is the lighter choice

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

Agreeable Gray is the lighter choice

Denim Drift
Philipsburg Blue
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Denim Drift reads slightly lighter

Tranquil Dawn
Philipsburg Blue
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn is the lighter choice

Balboa Mist
Philipsburg Blue
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Vintage Vogue
Philipsburg Blue
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Philipsburg Blue reads slightly lighter

Pale Green
Philipsburg Blue
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Pale Green reads noticeably lighter

Pine Needle
Philipsburg Blue
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Philipsburg Blue reads noticeably lighter

Cement grey
Philipsburg Blue
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Cement grey reads slightly lighter

Piazza
Philipsburg Blue
Piazza
Tikkurila
Piazza
LRV 65

Piazza is the lighter choice

Humble Yellow
Philipsburg Blue
Humble Yellow
Jotun
Humble Yellow
LRV 57

Humble Yellow is the lighter choice

Grey Blue
Philipsburg Blue
Grey Blue
RAL ClassicClassic
Grey Blue
LRV 7

Philipsburg Blue reads slightly lighter

Windmill Lane
Philipsburg Blue
Windmill Lane
Little Greene
Windmill Lane
LRV 31

Windmill Lane reads slightly lighter

Senses
Philipsburg Blue
Senses
Jotun
Senses
LRV 41

Senses reads noticeably lighter

Lamp Black
Philipsburg Blue
Lamp Black
Little Greene
Lamp Black
LRV 3

Philipsburg Blue reads noticeably lighter

Washed Linen
Philipsburg Blue
Washed Linen
Jotun
Washed Linen
LRV 55

Washed Linen is the lighter choice

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

Nearly identical in tone

Thames Fog
Philipsburg Blue
Thames Fog
Valspar
Thames Fog
LRV 27

Thames Fog reads slightly lighter

Ocean Abyss
Philipsburg Blue
Ocean Abyss
Behr
Ocean Abyss
LRV 7

Philipsburg Blue reads slightly lighter

Classic Silver
Philipsburg Blue
Classic Silver
Behr
Classic Silver
LRV 48

Classic Silver is the lighter choice

Teton Blue
Philipsburg Blue
Teton Blue
Behr
Teton Blue
LRV 31

Teton Blue reads slightly lighter

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

RAL 110-2 is the lighter choice

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

RAL 110-1 is the lighter choice

Paper
Philipsburg Blue
Paper
Tikkurila
Paper
LRV 88

Paper is the lighter choice

Passageway
Philipsburg Blue
Passageway
Valspar
Passageway
LRV 14

Philipsburg Blue reads slightly lighter