Black Bean vs Pewter Green
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Black Bean reads as grey, while Pewter Green reads as green-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Pewter Green (LRV 12) reflects noticeably more light than Black Bean (LRV 4), a difference of 8 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Black Bean runs warm while Pewter Green is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 20.4, 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 Bean vs Pewter Green in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Black Bean and Pewter Green 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. Pewter Green 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 Pewter Green 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. Pewter Green reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black Bean.
Color Details
Black Bean vs Pewter Green Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Black Bean on one side and Pewter Green 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 Bean comparisons
See how Black Bean stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 4, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Bean encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 6 vs 4), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Bean encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Bean encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 4, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Bean encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 4, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 4, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Bean encloses it.
With LRVs of 4 and 4, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 55 vs 4, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (13 vs 4) makes Bancha the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 44 vs 4, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Bean encloses it.
Artichoke reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Bean encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 4, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 4, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 4, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 4, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Bean encloses it.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Bean encloses it.
Treron reflects far more light (LRV 25 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Bean encloses it.
A 8-point LRV gap (12 vs 4) makes Vintage Vogue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 4, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Bean encloses it.
Pine Needle reads slightly lighter (LRV 7 vs 4), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Cement grey reflects far more light (LRV 24 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Bean encloses it.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Bean encloses it.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Bean encloses it.