Soft Grey vs Black grey

Soft GreyJotunvsBlack greyRAL ClassicΔE 49.7Very different colors

Soft Grey (Jotun) and Black grey (RAL Classic) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Soft Grey belongs to the greige-grey family and Black grey to the blue-grey family. The 33-point LRV gap — 40 for Soft Grey vs 6 for Black grey — means Soft Grey will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 49.7 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Soft Grey vs Black grey in Real Spaces

1 real room side by side. Seeing Soft Grey 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

A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Soft Grey reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black grey.

Soft GreyJotun Soft Grey living room paint review

@proffpaint_as

Black greyRAL Classic Black grey 7021 living room

@dorfstadtvilla

Color Details

Soft Grey
Jotun · 0394
Hex#afa99c
LRV40.0
BrandJotun
Number0394
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessMedium
Black grey
RAL Classic · RAL 7021
Hex#2F3234
LRV6.5
BrandRAL Classic
NumberRAL 7021
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessDark

Soft Grey vs Black grey Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Soft Grey on one side and Black grey on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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 Soft Grey comparisons

See how Soft Grey stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
Soft Grey
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Soft Grey
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
Soft Grey
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Soft Grey is the lighter choice

Purbeck Stone
Soft Grey
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter

Evergreen Fog
Soft Grey
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Soft Grey reads slightly lighter

Mizzle
Soft Grey
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle reads slightly lighter

Agreeable Gray
Soft Grey
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray reads noticeably lighter

Denim Drift
Soft Grey
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Soft Grey reads noticeably lighter

Tranquil Dawn
Soft Grey
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn reads noticeably lighter

Balboa Mist
Soft Grey
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Vintage Vogue
Soft Grey
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Soft Grey is the lighter choice

Pale Green
Soft Grey
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Soft Grey reads slightly lighter

Pine Needle
Soft Grey
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Soft Grey is the lighter choice

Cement grey
Soft Grey
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Soft Grey reads noticeably lighter

Piazza
Soft Grey
Piazza
Tikkurila
Piazza
LRV 65

Piazza is the lighter choice

Humble Yellow
Soft Grey
Humble Yellow
Jotun
Humble Yellow
LRV 57

Humble Yellow reads noticeably lighter

Grey Blue
Soft Grey
Grey Blue
RAL ClassicClassic
Grey Blue
LRV 7

Soft Grey is the lighter choice

Windmill Lane
Soft Grey
Windmill Lane
Little Greene
Windmill Lane
LRV 31

Soft Grey reads slightly lighter

Senses
Soft Grey
Senses
Jotun
Senses
LRV 41

Nearly identical in tone

Lamp Black
Soft Grey
Lamp Black
Little Greene
Lamp Black
LRV 3

Soft Grey is the lighter choice

Washed Linen
Soft Grey
Washed Linen
Jotun
Washed Linen
LRV 55

Washed Linen reads noticeably lighter

Tea with Florence
Soft Grey
Tea with Florence
Little Greene
Tea with Florence
LRV 18

Soft Grey reads noticeably lighter

Thames Fog
Soft Grey
Thames Fog
Valspar
Thames Fog
LRV 27

Soft Grey reads noticeably lighter

Ocean Abyss
Soft Grey
Ocean Abyss
Behr
Ocean Abyss
LRV 7

Soft Grey is the lighter choice

Classic Silver
Soft Grey
Classic Silver
Behr
Classic Silver
LRV 48

Classic Silver reads slightly lighter

Teton Blue
Soft Grey
Teton Blue
Behr
Teton Blue
LRV 31

Soft Grey reads slightly lighter

RAL 110-2
Soft Grey
RAL 110-2
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-2
LRV 72

RAL 110-2 is the lighter choice

RAL 110-1
Soft Grey
RAL 110-1
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-1
LRV 80

RAL 110-1 is the lighter choice

Paper
Soft Grey
Paper
Tikkurila
Paper
LRV 88

Paper is the lighter choice

Passageway
Soft Grey
Passageway
Valspar
Passageway
LRV 14

Soft Grey is the lighter choice