Black Emerald vs Thames Fog
Where Black Emerald belongs to Sherwin-Williams's range, Thames Fog is a Valspar color. Hue-wise, Black Emerald belongs to the blue-green family and Thames Fog to the grey family. Thames Fog (LRV 27) reflects noticeably more light than Black Emerald (LRV 1), a difference of 26 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 48.3, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Black Emerald vs Thames Fog in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Black Emerald and Thames Fog 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 LRV gap is large enough that Thames Fog will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black Emerald would.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Thames Fog reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black Emerald.
Color Details
Black Emerald vs Thames Fog Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Black Emerald on one side and Thames Fog 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 Emerald comparisons
See how Black Emerald stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
