Alchemy vs Charcoal Blue
Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. Hue-wise, Alchemy belongs to the beige family and Charcoal Blue to the blue-grey family. At LRV 38 vs 6, Alchemy will read as the brighter of the two — a 32-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. The tonal difference — Alchemy's warm character against Charcoal Blue's cool — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 66.1, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 7 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Alchemy vs Charcoal Blue in Real Spaces
7 real rooms side by side. Seeing Alchemy and Charcoal Blue 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. Alchemy returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Alchemy will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Charcoal Blue would.
Kitchen
Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The LRV gap is large enough that Alchemy will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Charcoal Blue would.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The LRV gap is large enough that Alchemy will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Charcoal Blue would.
Home Office
In a home office, wall color sits in your peripheral vision for hours at a time, so temperature and undertone matter more than you might expect. The LRV gap is large enough that Alchemy will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Charcoal Blue would.
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 Alchemy will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Charcoal Blue 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. Alchemy returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Alchemy vs Charcoal Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Alchemy on one side and Charcoal Blue 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 Alchemy comparisons
See how Alchemy stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 38), opening up a space where Alchemy encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 38, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (38 vs 30) makes Alchemy the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 60 vs 38, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 38), opening up a space where Alchemy encloses it.
Alchemy reads slightly lighter (LRV 38 vs 27), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 6-point LRV gap (43 vs 38) makes French Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 38), opening up a space where Alchemy encloses it.
Hardwick White reads slightly lighter (LRV 44 vs 38), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 38, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 38), opening up a space where Alchemy encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 38), opening up a space where Alchemy encloses it.
Alchemy reflects far more light (LRV 38 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 38), opening up a space where Alchemy encloses it.
Alchemy reflects far more light (LRV 38 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reads slightly lighter (LRV 45 vs 38), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 6-point LRV gap (38 vs 31) makes Alchemy the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 38 vs 7, Alchemy is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 38 vs 24, Alchemy is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 38, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.