Pitch Black vs Tricorn Black
Where Pitch Black belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Tricorn Black is a Sherwin-Williams color. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (5 vs 3), so they'll read as similarly Dark in most lighting conditions. Both lean neutral, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. The ΔE 5.0 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Pitch Black vs Tricorn Black in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Pitch Black and Tricorn Black are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Color Details
Pitch Black vs Tricorn Black Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Pitch Black on one side and Tricorn 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 Pitch Black comparisons
See how Pitch Black stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 5, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 5), opening up a space where Pitch Black encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 6 vs 5), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 5), opening up a space where Pitch Black encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 5), opening up a space where Pitch Black encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 5, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 5), opening up a space where Pitch Black encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 5, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 5, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 5), opening up a space where Pitch Black encloses it.
With LRVs of 5 and 4, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 55 vs 5, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (13 vs 5) makes Bancha the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 44 vs 5, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 5), opening up a space where Pitch Black encloses it.
Artichoke reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 5), opening up a space where Pitch Black encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 5, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 5, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 5, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (12 vs 5) makes Pewter Green the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 5, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 5), opening up a space where Pitch Black encloses it.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 5), opening up a space where Pitch Black encloses it.
Treron reflects far more light (LRV 25 vs 5), opening up a space where Pitch Black encloses it.
A 7-point LRV gap (12 vs 5) makes Vintage Vogue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 5, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 5), opening up a space where Pitch Black encloses it.
With LRVs of 7 and 5, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Cement grey reflects far more light (LRV 24 vs 5), opening up a space where Pitch Black encloses it.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 5), opening up a space where Pitch Black encloses it.