Pitch Black vs Thames Fog
Where Pitch Black belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Thames Fog is a Valspar color. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Thames Fog (LRV 27) reflects noticeably more light than Pitch Black (LRV 5), a difference of 22 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 36.0, 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 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Pitch Black vs Thames Fog in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Pitch Black and Thames Fog in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Thames Fog reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Pitch Black.
Color Details
Pitch Black vs Thames Fog Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Pitch Black on one side and Thames Fog 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.
