Bancha vs Graphite black
Where Bancha belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Graphite black is a RAL Classic color. Hue-wise, Bancha belongs to the beige-greige family and Graphite black to the blue-grey family. Bancha (LRV 13) reflects noticeably more light than Graphite black (LRV 5), a difference of 8 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 35.1, 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 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Bancha vs Graphite black in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Bancha and Graphite black in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Bancha reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Graphite black.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Bancha will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Graphite black would.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Bancha reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Graphite black.
Color Details
Bancha vs Graphite black Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Bancha on one side and Graphite black 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 Bancha comparisons
See how Bancha stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
