Black grey vs Extra White
Where Black grey belongs to RAL Classic's range, Extra White is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Black grey belongs to the blue-grey family and Extra White to the white family. Extra White (LRV 86) reflects noticeably more light than Black grey (LRV 6), a difference of 79 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 73.8, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Black grey vs Extra White in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Black grey and Extra White 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
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The LRV gap is large enough that Extra White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black grey would.
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. Extra White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black grey.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Extra White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black grey.
Color Details
Black grey vs Extra White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Black grey on one side and Extra White 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.
