Black grey vs Snowbound
Black grey (RAL Classic) and Snowbound (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Black grey belongs to the blue-grey family and Snowbound to the beige-greige family. The 76-point LRV gap — 83 for Snowbound vs 6 for Black grey — means Snowbound will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 72.4 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Black grey vs Snowbound in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Black grey and Snowbound 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
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Snowbound reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black grey.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Snowbound returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Front Door
On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. Snowbound reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black grey.
Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. Snowbound returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Black grey vs Snowbound Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Black grey on one side and Snowbound 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.
At LRV 83 vs 6, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 6), opening up a space where Black grey encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 6 vs 6), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 6), opening up a space where Black grey encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 6), opening up a space where Black grey encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 6, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 6), opening up a space where Black grey encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 6, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 6, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 6), opening up a space where Black grey encloses it.
With LRVs of 6 and 4, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 55 vs 6, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (13 vs 6) makes Bancha the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 44 vs 6, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 6), opening up a space where Black grey encloses it.
Artichoke reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 6), opening up a space where Black grey encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 6, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 6, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (12 vs 6) makes Pewter Green the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 6, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 6), opening up a space where Black grey encloses it.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 6), opening up a space where Black grey encloses it.
Treron reflects far more light (LRV 25 vs 6), opening up a space where Black grey encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (12 vs 6) makes Vintage Vogue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 6, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 6), opening up a space where Black grey encloses it.
With LRVs of 7 and 6, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Cement grey reflects far more light (LRV 24 vs 6), opening up a space where Black grey encloses it.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 6), opening up a space where Black grey encloses it.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 6), opening up a space where Black grey encloses it.