Ashen vs Black Magic
Both are PPG colors. Ashen reads as beige-greige, while Black Magic reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. At LRV 52 vs 4, Ashen will read as the brighter of the two — a 48-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 51.2, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Ashen vs Black Magic in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Ashen and Black Magic 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
Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. Ashen returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Ashen will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black Magic would.
Kitchen
Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The LRV gap is large enough that Ashen will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black Magic would.
Dining Room
Dining room light is typically the warmest in the house, which shifts both colors toward the red end of the spectrum compared to daylight. Ashen reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black Magic.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The LRV gap is large enough that Ashen will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black Magic would.
Home Office
In a home office, wall color sits in your peripheral vision for hours at a time, so temperature and undertone matter more than you might expect. The LRV gap is large enough that Ashen will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black Magic would.
Mudroom
A mudroom color needs to hold up under the most casual scrutiny: a glance as you're coming and going, often in mixed or artificial light. Ashen reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black Magic.
Patio
Patio colors are seen under changing outdoor light throughout the day — morning, midday, and golden hour each reveal different qualities. Ashen reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black Magic.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Ashen will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black Magic would.
Front Door
Front doors are seen in isolation against the rest of the facade, which makes them a high-stakes surface where even subtle differences matter. Ashen returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Ashen vs Black Magic Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Ashen on one side and Black Magic 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 Ashen comparisons
See how Ashen stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 52, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 52 and 52, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Ashen reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 6-point LRV gap (58 vs 52) makes Accessible Beige the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 52 vs 27, Ashen is decisively the brighter choice.
Ashen reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 43), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 3-point LRV gap (55 vs 52) makes Tranquil Dawn the marginally brighter of the two.
A 8-point LRV gap (52 vs 44) makes Ashen the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 52), opening up a space where Ashen encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 52, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 52, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 52 vs 12, Ashen is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 52 vs 8, Ashen is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 52, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 52 vs 12, Ashen is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (52 vs 45) makes Ashen the marginally brighter of the two.
Ashen reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.