Pigeon vs Black Magic
Pigeon is a Farrow & Ball color while Black Magic comes from PPG. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. At LRV 51 vs 4, Pigeon will read as the brighter of the two — a 47-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 39.1, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Pigeon vs Black Magic in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Seeing Pigeon and Black Magic 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. Pigeon returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Pigeon will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black Magic would.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The LRV gap is large enough that Pigeon will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black Magic would.
Mudroom
A mudroom color needs to hold up under the most casual scrutiny: a glance as you're coming and going, often in mixed or artificial light. Pigeon reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black Magic.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Pigeon will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black Magic would.
Front Door
Front doors are seen in isolation against the rest of the facade, which makes them a high-stakes surface where even subtle differences matter. Pigeon returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Pigeon vs Black Magic Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Pigeon on one side and Black Magic 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 Pigeon comparisons
See how Pigeon stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 51, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 52 and 51, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 51), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 7-point LRV gap (58 vs 51) makes Accessible Beige the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 51 vs 27, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reads slightly lighter (LRV 51 vs 43), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 4-point LRV gap (55 vs 51) makes Tranquil Dawn the marginally brighter of the two.
A 7-point LRV gap (51 vs 44) makes Pigeon the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 51), opening up a space where Pigeon encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 51, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 51, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 51 vs 12, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 51, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 51 vs 12, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (51 vs 45) makes Pigeon the marginally brighter of the two.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.