Black Magic vs Cascades
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Black Magic belongs to the grey family and Cascades to the blue family. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (3 vs 4), so they'll read as similarly Dark in most lighting conditions. Black Magic runs neutral while Cascades is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 10.6, 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 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Black Magic vs Cascades in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Black Magic and Cascades 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 temperature contrast between Cascades and Black Magic is what sets these apart most in this context.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Cascades brings more warmth to the space, while Black Magic keeps things cooler and crisper.
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. Cascades brings more warmth to the space, while Black Magic keeps things cooler and crisper.
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. Cascades brings more warmth to the space, while Black Magic keeps things cooler and crisper.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Cascades brings more warmth to the space, while Black Magic keeps things cooler and crisper.
Color Details
Black Magic vs Cascades Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Black Magic on one side and Cascades 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 Magic comparisons
See how Black Magic stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
