Black grey vs Elephant Ear
Black grey is a RAL Classic color while Elephant Ear comes from Sherwin-Williams. Black grey reads as blue-grey, while Elephant Ear reads as greige-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. At LRV 28 vs 6, Elephant Ear will read as the brighter of the two — a 22-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 40.2, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Black grey vs Elephant Ear in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Black grey and Elephant Ear 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. Elephant Ear returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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 Elephant Ear will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black grey would.
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. Elephant Ear returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Kitchen Cabinets
On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. The LRV gap is large enough that Elephant Ear will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black grey would.
Color Details
Black grey vs Elephant Ear Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Black grey on one side and Elephant Ear 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 grey comparisons
See how Black grey stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
