Onyx vs Pewter Green
Onyx is a PPG color while Pewter Green comes from Sherwin-Williams. Hue-wise, Onyx belongs to the grey family and Pewter Green to the green-grey family. At LRV 12 vs 6, Pewter Green will read as the brighter of the two — a 6-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 12.7, 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.
Onyx vs Pewter Green in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Onyx and Pewter Green 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. Pewter Green has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The brightness difference is modest but present — Pewter Green gives the walls a little more lift.
Kitchen
Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The brightness difference is modest but present — Pewter Green gives the walls a little more lift.
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. Pewter Green reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The brightness difference is modest but present — Pewter Green gives the walls a little more lift.
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 brightness difference is modest but present — Pewter Green gives the walls a little more lift.
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. Pewter Green reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Patio
Patio colors are seen under changing outdoor light throughout the day — morning, midday, and golden hour each reveal different qualities. Pewter Green reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The brightness difference is modest but present — Pewter Green gives the walls a little more lift.
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. Pewter Green has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Onyx vs Pewter Green Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Onyx on one side and Pewter Green 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 Onyx comparisons
See how Onyx stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 6), opening up a space where Onyx encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 6, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 6, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 6, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 6), opening up a space where Onyx encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 6), opening up a space where Onyx encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 6, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 6), opening up a space where Onyx encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 6), opening up a space where Onyx encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 6, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 6), opening up a space where Onyx encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 6), opening up a space where Onyx encloses it.
With LRVs of 8 and 6, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 6), opening up a space where Onyx encloses it.
Vintage Vogue reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 6), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 6), opening up a space where Onyx encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 6, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 7 vs 6), so neither reads brighter in a room.