Black grey vs Tempe Star
Where Black grey belongs to RAL Classic's range, Tempe Star is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Black grey belongs to the blue-grey family and Tempe Star to the blue family. Tempe Star (LRV 11) reflects noticeably more light than Black grey (LRV 6), a difference of 5 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 21.3, 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 Tempe Star in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Black grey and Tempe Star 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 brightness difference is modest but present — Tempe Star gives the walls a little more lift.
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. Tempe Star reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Tempe Star reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Black grey vs Tempe Star Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Black grey on one side and Tempe Star 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.
