Lamp Black vs S 5040-B80G
Where Lamp Black belongs to Little Greene's range, S 5040-B80G is a NCS color. Hue-wise, Lamp Black belongs to the grey family and S 5040-B80G to the blue family. S 5040-B80G (LRV 8) reflects noticeably more light than Lamp Black (LRV 3), a difference of 6 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Lamp Black runs purple while S 5040-B80G is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 32.3, 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.
Lamp Black vs S 5040-B80G in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Lamp Black and S 5040-B80G in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Dining Room
A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. S 5040-B80G has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Lamp Black vs S 5040-B80G Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Lamp Black on one side and S 5040-B80G 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 Lamp Black comparisons
See how Lamp Black stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
