Mouse's Back vs Black grey
Where Mouse's Back belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Black grey is a RAL Classic color. Mouse's Back reads as beige-greige, while Black grey reads as blue-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Mouse's Back (LRV 26) reflects noticeably more light than Black grey (LRV 6), a difference of 20 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 40.2, 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 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Mouse's Back vs Black grey in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Mouse's Back 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
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 Mouse's Back will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black grey would.
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. Mouse's Back reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black grey.
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 Mouse's Back will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black grey would.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Mouse's Back reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black grey.
Color Details
Mouse's Back vs Black grey Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Mouse's Back 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 Mouse's Back comparisons
See how Mouse's Back stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
