Black Magic vs Kalispell paint color comparison

Black Magic vs Kalispell

Black MagicPPGvsKalispellPPGΔE 43.1Very different colors

Black Magic and Kalispell come from the same PPG collection. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. The 37-point LRV gap — 41 for Kalispell vs 4 for Black Magic — means Kalispell will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 43.1 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Black Magic vs Kalispell in Real Spaces

10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Black Magic and Kalispell 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. Kalispell reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black Magic.

Black MagicA organic modern living room painted in Black Magic

@simplywalldecor

KalispellA organic modern living room painted in Kalispell

@simplywalldecor

Bedroom

Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Kalispell returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Black MagicA moody bedroom painted in Black Magic

@simplywalldecor

KalispellA cozy bedroom painted in Kalispell

@simplywalldecor

Kitchen

Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Kalispell returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Black MagicBlack Magic — contemporary kitchen cabinets

@simplywalldecor

KalispellKalispell — earthy kitchen cabinets

@simplywalldecor

Dining Room

Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The LRV gap is large enough that Kalispell will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black Magic would.

Black MagicBlack Magic — mid century dining room

@simplywalldecor

KalispellKalispell paint in a traditional dining room

@simplywalldecor

Bathroom

Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. Kalispell returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Black MagicBlack Magic — japandi bathroom

@simplywalldecor

KalispellKalispell — wabi-sabi bathroom

@simplywalldecor

Home Office

Home office walls matter more than most — you're looking at them all day, and a color that reads fine at first can become tiring over time. Kalispell returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Black MagicPPG Black Magic in a contemporary home office

@simplywalldecor

KalispellPPG Kalispell in a warm home office

@simplywalldecor

Mudroom

In a hardworking space like a mudroom, the depth and warmth of a color reads differently than in a quieter room. The LRV gap is large enough that Kalispell will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black Magic would.

Black MagicBlack Magic paint in a cottagecore mudroom

@simplywalldecor

KalispellKalispell paint in a small mudroom

@simplywalldecor

Patio

Exterior colors look different in open light — both tend to read lighter outside than on an interior swatch, and shadows read more strongly. The LRV gap is large enough that Kalispell will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black Magic would.

Black Magicmediterranean patio featuring Black Magic by PPG

@simplywalldecor

Kalispellboho patio featuring Kalispell by PPG

@simplywalldecor

House

A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Kalispell returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Black MagicBlack Magic color — maximalist house inspiration

@simplywalldecor

KalispellKalispell color — rustic modern house inspiration

@simplywalldecor

Front Door

On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. Kalispell reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black Magic.

Black MagicA bold front door painted in Black Magic

@simplywalldecor

Kalispellmediterranean front door featuring Kalispell by PPG

@simplywalldecor

Color Details

Black Magic
PPG · PPG1001-7
LRV4.0
BrandPPG
NumberPPG1001-7
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessDark
Kalispell
PPG · PPG0998-3
LRV41.0
BrandPPG
NumberPPG0998-3
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessMedium

Black Magic vs Kalispell Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Black Magic on one side and Kalispell 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 Black Magic comparisons

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

Ammonite
Black Magic
Ammonite
Black Magic
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4

Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.

White Dove
Black Magic
White Dove
Black Magic
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4

At LRV 83 vs 4, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.

Black Magic
Iron Ore
Black Magic
Iron Ore
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 6 vs 4), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Purbeck Stone
Black Magic
Purbeck Stone
Black Magic
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4

Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.

Black Magic
Evergreen Fog
Black Magic
Evergreen Fog
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4

Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.

Mizzle
Black Magic
Mizzle
Black Magic
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4

At LRV 52 vs 4, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.

Black Magic
Agreeable Gray
Black Magic
Agreeable Gray
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4

Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.

Black Magic
Accessible Beige
Black Magic
Accessible Beige
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4

At LRV 58 vs 4, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.

Denim Drift
Black Magic
Denim Drift
Black Magic
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4

At LRV 27 vs 4, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.

French Gray
Black Magic
French Gray
Black Magic
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4

French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.

Black Magic
Naval
Black Magic
Naval
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

With LRVs of 4 and 4, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

Tranquil Dawn
Black Magic
Tranquil Dawn
Black Magic
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4

At LRV 55 vs 4, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.

Bancha
Black Magic
Bancha
Black Magic
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4

A 9-point LRV gap (13 vs 4) makes Bancha the marginally brighter of the two.

Hardwick White
Black Magic
Hardwick White
Black Magic
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4

At LRV 44 vs 4, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.

Black Magic
Pure White
Black Magic
Pure White
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4

Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.

Black Magic
Artichoke
Black Magic
Artichoke
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

Artichoke reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.

Balboa Mist
Black Magic
Balboa Mist
Black Magic
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4

At LRV 66 vs 4, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.

Black Magic
Shoji White
Black Magic
Shoji White
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4

At LRV 74 vs 4, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.

Black Magic
Snowbound
Black Magic
Snowbound
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

At LRV 83 vs 4, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.

Pigeon
Black Magic
Pigeon
Black Magic
Farrow & Ball
Pigeon
LRV 51
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4

Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.

Black Magic
Pewter Green
Black Magic
Pewter Green
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4

A 8-point LRV gap (12 vs 4) makes Pewter Green the marginally brighter of the two.

Duck Green
Black Magic
Duck Green
Black Magic
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4

A 4-point LRV gap (8 vs 4) makes Duck Green the marginally brighter of the two.

Skimming Stone
Black Magic
Skimming Stone
Black Magic
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4

At LRV 68 vs 4, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.

Dix Blue
Black Magic
Dix Blue
Black Magic
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4

Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.

Hicks' Blue
Black Magic
Hicks' Blue
Black Magic
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4

Hicks' Blue vs Black Magic

Slaked Lime Deep
Black Magic
Slaked Lime Deep
Black Magic
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4

Slaked Lime Deep vs Black Magic

Vintage Vogue
Black Magic
Vintage Vogue
Black Magic
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4

A 8-point LRV gap (12 vs 4) makes Vintage Vogue the marginally brighter of the two.

Livid
Black Magic
Livid
Black Magic
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4

Livid vs Black Magic

Saybrook Sage
Black Magic
Saybrook Sage
Black Magic
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4

At LRV 45 vs 4, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.

Black Magic
Pale Green
Black Magic
Pale Green
PPG
Black Magic
PPG1001-7 · LRV 4
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.