Black Magic vs Starless Sky

Black MagicPPGvsStarless SkyPPGΔE 1.8Subtle difference

Both are PPG colors. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. With LRVs of 4 and 5, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. With a ΔE of 1.8, the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side to reliably tell them apart. Below you'll find 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Black Magic vs Starless Sky in Real Spaces

10 real rooms side by side. Black Magic and Starless Sky are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.

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. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.

Black MagicA organic modern living room painted in Black Magic

@simplywalldecor

Starless SkyA cozy living room painted in Starless Sky

@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 two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.

Black MagicA moody bedroom painted in Black Magic

@simplywalldecor

Starless SkyA moody bedroom painted in Starless Sky

@simplywalldecor

Kitchen

Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.

Black MagicBlack Magic — contemporary kitchen cabinets

@simplywalldecor

Starless SkyStarless Sky — earthy 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. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.

Black MagicBlack Magic — mid century dining room

@simplywalldecor

Starless SkyStarless Sky paint in a parisian dining room

@simplywalldecor

Bathroom

Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.

Black MagicBlack Magic — japandi bathroom

@simplywalldecor

Starless SkyStarless Sky — minimalist 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 two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.

Black MagicPPG Black Magic in a contemporary home office

@simplywalldecor

Starless SkyPPG Starless Sky in a unique 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. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.

Black MagicBlack Magic paint in a cottagecore mudroom

@simplywalldecor

Starless SkyStarless Sky paint in a cottagecore mudroom

@simplywalldecor

Patio

Patio colors are seen under changing outdoor light throughout the day — morning, midday, and golden hour each reveal different qualities. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.

Black Magicmediterranean patio featuring Black Magic by PPG

@simplywalldecor

Starless Skymediterranean patio featuring Starless Sky 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 two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.

Black MagicBlack Magic color — maximalist house inspiration

@simplywalldecor

Starless SkyStarless Sky 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. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.

Black MagicA bold front door painted in Black Magic

@simplywalldecor

Starless Skycottagecore front door featuring Starless Sky by PPG

@simplywalldecor

Color Details

Black Magic
PPG · PPG1001-7
Hex#414040
LRV4.0
BrandPPG
NumberPPG1001-7
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessDark
Starless Sky
PPG · PPG0995-7
Hex#3c3d3d
LRV5.0
BrandPPG
NumberPPG0995-7
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessDark

Black Magic vs Starless Sky Simulated Comparison

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

White Dove
Black Magic
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Black Magic
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
Black Magic
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Nearly identical in tone

Purbeck Stone
Black Magic
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone is the lighter choice

Evergreen Fog
Black Magic
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Evergreen Fog is the lighter choice

Mizzle
Black Magic
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle is the lighter choice

Agreeable Gray
Black Magic
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray is the lighter choice

Accessible Beige
Black Magic
Accessible Beige
Sherwin-Williams
Accessible Beige
LRV 58

Accessible Beige is the lighter choice

Denim Drift
Black Magic
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Denim Drift reads noticeably lighter

French Gray
Black Magic
French Gray
Farrow & Ball
French Gray
LRV 43

French Gray is the lighter choice

Naval
Black Magic
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

Nearly identical in tone

Tranquil Dawn
Black Magic
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn is the lighter choice

Bancha
Black Magic
Bancha
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

Bancha reads slightly lighter

Hardwick White
Black Magic
Hardwick White
Farrow & Ball
Hardwick White
LRV 44

Hardwick White is the lighter choice

Pure White
Black Magic
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams
Pure White
LRV 84

Pure White is the lighter choice

Artichoke
Black Magic
Artichoke
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

Artichoke reads noticeably lighter

Balboa Mist
Black Magic
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Shoji White
Black Magic
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams
Shoji White
LRV 74

Shoji White is the lighter choice

Snowbound
Black Magic
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound is the lighter choice

Pewter Green
Black Magic
Pewter Green
Sherwin-Williams
Pewter Green
LRV 12

Pewter Green reads slightly lighter

Skimming Stone
Black Magic
Skimming Stone
Farrow & Ball
Skimming Stone
LRV 68

Skimming Stone is the lighter choice

Dix Blue
Black Magic
Dix Blue
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

Dix Blue is the lighter choice

Calamine
Black Magic
Calamine
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68

Calamine is the lighter choice

Treron
Black Magic
Treron
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25

Treron reads noticeably lighter

Vintage Vogue
Black Magic
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Vintage Vogue reads slightly lighter

Saybrook Sage
Black Magic
Saybrook Sage
Benjamin Moore
Saybrook Sage
LRV 45

Saybrook Sage is the lighter choice

Pale Green
Black Magic
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Pale Green is the lighter choice

Pine Needle
Black Magic
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Pine Needle reads slightly lighter

Cement grey
Black Magic
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Cement grey reads noticeably lighter

Guilford Green
Black Magic
Guilford Green
Benjamin Moore
Guilford Green
LRV 57

Guilford Green is the lighter choice