Charleston Gray vs Black grey

Charleston GrayFarrow & BallvsBlack greyRAL ClassicΔE 42.2Very different colors

Charleston Gray is a Farrow & Ball color while Black grey comes from RAL Classic. Hue-wise, Charleston Gray belongs to the greige-grey family and Black grey to the blue-grey family. At LRV 30 vs 6, Charleston Gray will read as the brighter of the two — a 24-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 42.2, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Charleston Gray vs Black grey in Real Spaces

2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Charleston Gray 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

Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. Charleston Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Charleston GrayFarrow and Ball Charleston Gray 243 living room

@harts___house

Black greyRAL Classic Black grey 7021 living room

@dorfstadtvilla

Kitchen Cabinets

On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. The LRV gap is large enough that Charleston Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black grey would.

Charleston GrayFarrow and Ball Charleston Gray 243 kitchen cabinets

@hanghaus15

Black greyRAL Classic 7021 kitchen cabinets paint review

@a.jak.agata

Color Details

Charleston Gray
Farrow & Ball · 243
Hex#9f9389
LRV30.4
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number243
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessMedium
Black grey
RAL Classic · RAL 7021
Hex#2F3234
LRV6.5
BrandRAL Classic
NumberRAL 7021
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessDark

Charleston Gray vs Black grey Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Charleston Gray on one side and Black grey on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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 Charleston Gray comparisons

See how Charleston Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
Charleston Gray
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Charleston Gray
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
Charleston Gray
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Charleston Gray reads noticeably lighter

Purbeck Stone
Charleston Gray
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone reads noticeably lighter

Evergreen Fog
Charleston Gray
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Nearly identical in tone

Mizzle
Charleston Gray
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle reads noticeably lighter

Agreeable Gray
Charleston Gray
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray is the lighter choice

Denim Drift
Charleston Gray
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Charleston Gray reads slightly lighter

Tranquil Dawn
Charleston Gray
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn reads noticeably lighter

Balboa Mist
Charleston Gray
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Vintage Vogue
Charleston Gray
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Charleston Gray reads noticeably lighter

Pale Green
Charleston Gray
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Nearly identical in tone

Pine Needle
Charleston Gray
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Charleston Gray reads noticeably lighter

Cement grey
Charleston Gray
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Charleston Gray reads slightly lighter

Piazza
Charleston Gray
Piazza
Tikkurila
Piazza
LRV 65

Piazza is the lighter choice

Humble Yellow
Charleston Gray
Humble Yellow
Jotun
Humble Yellow
LRV 57

Humble Yellow is the lighter choice

Grey Blue
Charleston Gray
Grey Blue
RAL ClassicClassic
Grey Blue
LRV 7

Charleston Gray reads noticeably lighter

Windmill Lane
Charleston Gray
Windmill Lane
Little Greene
Windmill Lane
LRV 31

Nearly identical in tone

Senses
Charleston Gray
Senses
Jotun
Senses
LRV 41

Senses reads slightly lighter

Lamp Black
Charleston Gray
Lamp Black
Little Greene
Lamp Black
LRV 3

Charleston Gray is the lighter choice

Washed Linen
Charleston Gray
Washed Linen
Jotun
Washed Linen
LRV 55

Washed Linen reads noticeably lighter

Tea with Florence
Charleston Gray
Tea with Florence
Little Greene
Tea with Florence
LRV 18

Charleston Gray reads noticeably lighter

Thames Fog
Charleston Gray
Thames Fog
Valspar
Thames Fog
LRV 27

Charleston Gray reads slightly lighter

Ocean Abyss
Charleston Gray
Ocean Abyss
Behr
Ocean Abyss
LRV 7

Charleston Gray reads noticeably lighter

Classic Silver
Charleston Gray
Classic Silver
Behr
Classic Silver
LRV 48

Classic Silver reads noticeably lighter

Teton Blue
Charleston Gray
Teton Blue
Behr
Teton Blue
LRV 31

Nearly identical in tone

RAL 110-2
Charleston Gray
RAL 110-2
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-2
LRV 72

RAL 110-2 is the lighter choice

RAL 110-1
Charleston Gray
RAL 110-1
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-1
LRV 80

RAL 110-1 is the lighter choice

Paper
Charleston Gray
Paper
Tikkurila
Paper
LRV 88

Paper is the lighter choice

Passageway
Charleston Gray
Passageway
Valspar
Passageway
LRV 14

Charleston Gray reads noticeably lighter