Black Magic vs So Sublime paint color comparison

Black Magic vs So Sublime

Black MagicPPGvsSo SublimePPGΔE 28.8Very different colors

Both are PPG colors. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. At LRV 24 vs 4, So Sublime will read as the brighter of the two — a 20-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 28.8, 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.

Black Magic vs So Sublime in Real Spaces

10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Black Magic and So Sublime 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. So Sublime returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Black MagicA organic modern living room painted in Black Magic

@simplywalldecor

So SublimeA mid century living room painted in So Sublime

@simplywalldecor

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 So Sublime will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black Magic would.

Black MagicA moody bedroom painted in Black Magic

@simplywalldecor

So SublimeA cozy bedroom painted in So Sublime

@simplywalldecor

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 So Sublime will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black Magic would.

Black MagicBlack Magic — contemporary kitchen cabinets

@simplywalldecor

So SublimeSo Sublime — contemporary kitchen cabinets

@simplywalldecor

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. So Sublime reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black Magic.

Black MagicBlack Magic — mid century dining room

@simplywalldecor

So SublimeSo Sublime paint in a art deco dining room

@simplywalldecor

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 So Sublime will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black Magic would.

Black MagicBlack Magic — japandi bathroom

@simplywalldecor

So SublimeSo Sublime — modern luxury bathroom

@simplywalldecor

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 So Sublime will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black Magic would.

Black MagicPPG Black Magic in a contemporary home office

@simplywalldecor

So SublimePPG So Sublime in a industrial home office

@simplywalldecor

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. So Sublime reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black Magic.

Black MagicBlack Magic paint in a cottagecore mudroom

@simplywalldecor

So SublimeSo Sublime paint in a tiny mudroom

@simplywalldecor

Patio

Patio colors are seen under changing outdoor light throughout the day — morning, midday, and golden hour each reveal different qualities. So Sublime reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black Magic.

Black Magicmediterranean patio featuring Black Magic by PPG

@simplywalldecor

So Sublimewarm patio featuring So Sublime by PPG

@simplywalldecor

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 So Sublime will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black Magic would.

Black MagicBlack Magic color — maximalist house inspiration

@simplywalldecor

So SublimeSo Sublime color — maximalist house inspiration

@simplywalldecor

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. So Sublime returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Black MagicA bold front door painted in Black Magic

@simplywalldecor

So Sublimemediterranean front door featuring So Sublime by PPG

@simplywalldecor

Color Details

Black Magic
PPG · PPG1001-7
LRV4.0
BrandPPG
NumberPPG1001-7
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessDark
So Sublime
PPG · PPG1006-5
LRV24.0
BrandPPG
NumberPPG1006-5
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessDark

Black Magic vs So Sublime Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Black Magic on one side and So Sublime 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.