Cement grey vs Black Bean
Where Cement grey belongs to RAL Classic's range, Black Bean is a Sherwin-Williams color. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Cement grey (LRV 24) reflects noticeably more light than Black Bean (LRV 4), a difference of 20 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 32.6, 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.
Cement grey vs Black Bean in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Cement grey and Black Bean in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Cement grey reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black Bean.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Cement grey will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black Bean would.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Cement grey reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black Bean.
Color Details
Cement grey vs Black Bean Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cement grey on one side and Black Bean 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 Cement grey comparisons
See how Cement grey stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
