Blackened Black vs Black Bean
Where Blackened Black belongs to Jotun's range, Black Bean is a Sherwin-Williams color. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. Blackened Black (LRV 7) reflects noticeably more light than Black Bean (LRV 4), a difference of 3 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Blackened Black runs neutral while Black Bean is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 10.7, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Blackened Black vs Black Bean in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Blackened Black and Black Bean in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Blackened Black reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Blackened Black reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Blackened Black vs Black Bean Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Blackened Black on one side and Black Bean 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 Blackened Black comparisons
See how Blackened Black stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
