Black Oak vs Raisin Cake
Black Oak (Cloverdale Paint) and Raisin Cake (Dulux) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Black Oak belongs to the greige-grey family and Raisin Cake to the grey family. The 3-point LRV gap — 11 for Raisin Cake vs 8 for Black Oak — means Raisin Cake will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 2.8 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Black Oak vs Raisin Cake in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Black Oak and Raisin Cake 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.
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. Raisin Cake reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The brightness difference is modest but present — Raisin Cake gives the walls a little more lift.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. Raisin Cake has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Black Oak vs Raisin Cake Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Black Oak on one side and Raisin Cake 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 Black Oak comparisons
See how Black Oak stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 8, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 8), opening up a space where Black Oak encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 8), opening up a space where Black Oak encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 8), opening up a space where Black Oak encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 8, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 8, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 8), opening up a space where Black Oak encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 8, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 8, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 8), opening up a space where Black Oak encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 8, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 8, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (12 vs 8) makes Pewter Green the marginally brighter of the two.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 8 vs 8), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 8, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (12 vs 8) makes Vintage Vogue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 8, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 8), opening up a space where Black Oak encloses it.