Willow vs Black Oak
Willow is a Benjamin Moore color while Black Oak comes from Cloverdale Paint. Both sit in the greige-grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. With LRVs of 9 and 8, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. With a ΔE of 0.7, the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side to reliably tell them apart. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Willow vs Black Oak in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Willow and Black Oak are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
Dining Room
Dining room light is typically the warmest in the house, which shifts both colors toward the red end of the spectrum compared to daylight. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Color Details
Willow vs Black Oak Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Willow on one side and Black Oak 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 Willow comparisons
See how Willow stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 9, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 9), opening up a space where Willow encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 9), opening up a space where Willow encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 9), opening up a space where Willow encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 9, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 9, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 9), opening up a space where Willow encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 9, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 9, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 9), opening up a space where Willow encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 9, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 9, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 9), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 9 vs 8), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 9, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 9), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 45 vs 9, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 9), opening up a space where Willow encloses it.