Basically Black vs Slaked Lime Deep
Basically Black (Dulux) and Slaked Lime Deep (Little Greene) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Basically Black belongs to the blue-grey family and Slaked Lime Deep to the beige family. Basically Black has an LRV of 9. Where Basically Black leans neutral, Slaked Lime Deep reads red — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 51.0 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Basically Black vs Slaked Lime Deep in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Basically Black and Slaked Lime Deep 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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Front Door
On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Color Details
Basically Black vs Slaked Lime Deep Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Basically Black on one side and Slaked Lime Deep 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 Basically Black comparisons
See how Basically Black stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 9), opening up a space where Basically Black encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 9, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
A 3-point LRV gap (9 vs 6) makes Basically Black the marginally brighter of the two.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 9), opening up a space where Basically Black encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 9), opening up a space where Basically Black encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 9, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 9), opening up a space where Basically Black 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 Basically Black encloses it.
Basically Black reads slightly lighter (LRV 9 vs 4), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 9, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (13 vs 9) makes Bancha the marginally brighter of the two.
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 Basically Black encloses it.
Artichoke reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 9), opening up a space where Basically Black 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.
At LRV 83 vs 9, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 9), opening up a space where Basically Black encloses it.
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.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 9), opening up a space where Basically Black encloses it.
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 Basically Black encloses it.
With LRVs of 9 and 7, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.