Olive Drab vs Black grey
Olive Drab (Cloverdale Paint) and Black grey (RAL Classic) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Olive Drab belongs to the greige-grey family and Black grey to the blue-grey family. The 17-point LRV gap — 24 for Olive Drab vs 6 for Black grey — means Olive Drab will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 37.4 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Olive Drab vs Black grey in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Olive Drab 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
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. Olive Drab reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black grey.
Color Details
Olive Drab vs Black grey Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Olive Drab on one side and Black 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 Olive Drab comparisons
See how Olive Drab stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
