Licorice vs Rock Bottom
Where Licorice belongs to PPG's range, Rock Bottom is a Sherwin-Williams color. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (7 vs 7), so they'll read as similarly Dark in most lighting conditions. The ΔE 3.2 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 8 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Licorice vs Rock Bottom in Real Spaces
8 real rooms side by side. Licorice and Rock Bottom 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
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Mudroom
Mudrooms are seen in passing, often under whatever light comes through the door — a context that favors colors with some depth. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Color Details
Licorice vs Rock Bottom Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Licorice on one side and Rock Bottom 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 Licorice comparisons
See how Licorice stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 7), opening up a space where Licorice encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 7, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 7, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 7, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 7), opening up a space where Licorice encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 7), opening up a space where Licorice encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 7, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 7), opening up a space where Licorice encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 7), opening up a space where Licorice encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 7, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 7), opening up a space where Licorice encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 7), opening up a space where Licorice encloses it.
Pewter Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
With LRVs of 8 and 7, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 7), opening up a space where Licorice encloses it.
Vintage Vogue reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 7), opening up a space where Licorice encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 7, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.