Black Magic vs Silent Smoke
Both from PPG's palette. Hue-wise, Black Magic belongs to the grey family and Silent Smoke to the beige-greige family. Silent Smoke (LRV 68) reflects noticeably more light than Black Magic (LRV 4), a difference of 64 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 59.1, 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 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Black Magic vs Silent Smoke in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Black Magic and Silent Smoke 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 Silent Smoke 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. Silent Smoke reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black Magic.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Silent Smoke 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. Silent Smoke 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. Silent Smoke 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. Silent Smoke 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. Silent Smoke 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. Silent Smoke 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. Silent Smoke 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 Silent Smoke will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black Magic would.
Color Details
Black Magic vs Silent Smoke Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Black Magic on one side and Silent Smoke 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.
At LRV 83 vs 4, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 6 vs 4), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 4, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 4, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 4, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.
With LRVs of 4 and 4, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 55 vs 4, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (13 vs 4) makes Bancha the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 44 vs 4, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.
Artichoke reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 4, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 4, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 4, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (12 vs 4) makes Pewter Green the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 4, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.
Treron reflects far more light (LRV 25 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.
A 8-point LRV gap (12 vs 4) makes Vintage Vogue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 4, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.
Pine Needle reads slightly lighter (LRV 7 vs 4), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Cement grey reflects far more light (LRV 24 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.