Black Opal vs Thimble Case
Both from Dulux's palette. Hue-wise, Black Opal belongs to the blue family and Thimble Case to the greige-grey family. Thimble Case (LRV 68) reflects noticeably more light than Black Opal (LRV 6), a difference of 62 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Black Opal runs cool while Thimble Case is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 65.7, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Black Opal vs Thimble Case in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Black Opal and Thimble Case 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 Thimble Case will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black Opal would.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Thimble Case reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black Opal.
Color Details
Black Opal vs Thimble Case Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Black Opal on one side and Thimble Case 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 Opal comparisons
See how Black Opal stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
