Black Magic vs Gray By Me
Both from PPG's palette. Black Magic reads as grey, while Gray By Me reads as greige-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Gray By Me (LRV 32) reflects noticeably more light than Black Magic (LRV 4), a difference of 28 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 36.9, 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 9 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Black Magic vs Gray By Me in Real Spaces
9 real rooms side by side. Seeing Black Magic and Gray By Me 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
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The LRV gap is large enough that Gray By Me will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black Magic would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Gray By Me reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black Magic.
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. Gray By Me returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Gray By Me reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black Magic.
Home Office
The test for a home office color isn't how it looks in a quick glance — it's whether it still feels right after a full day of work. Gray By Me reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black Magic.
Mudroom
Mudrooms are seen in passing, often under whatever light comes through the door — a context that favors colors with some depth. Gray By Me returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Patio
Outside, paint color competes with sky, landscaping, and direct sun — all of which shift how both of these read compared to an indoor chip. Gray By Me returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Gray By Me reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black Magic.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Gray By Me will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black Magic would.
Color Details
Black Magic vs Gray By Me Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Black Magic on one side and Gray By Me 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 Black Magic comparisons
See how Black Magic stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
