Black Magic vs Kingston
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Black Magic belongs to the grey family and Kingston to the green-grey family. Kingston (LRV 70) reflects noticeably more light than Black Magic (LRV 3), a difference of 67 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Black Magic runs neutral while Kingston is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 66.8, 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 7 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Black Magic vs Kingston in Real Spaces
7 real rooms side by side. Seeing Black Magic and Kingston 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 Kingston will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black Magic would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Kingston reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black Magic.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Kingston reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black Magic.
Dining Room
A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. Kingston returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Kingston reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black Magic.
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. Kingston reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black Magic.
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 Kingston will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black Magic would.
Color Details
Black Magic vs Kingston Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Black Magic on one side and Kingston 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.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 3), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 3, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 6 and 3, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 52 vs 3, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 3, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 3), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 3, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 3), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 3), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 3, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 4 vs 3), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 3), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.
Bancha reads slightly lighter (LRV 13 vs 3), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 3), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 3, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 21 vs 3, Artichoke is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 3), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 3), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 3), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.
Pewter Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 3), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 3), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 3, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 3, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 25 vs 3, Treron is decisively the brighter choice.
Vintage Vogue reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 3), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 3), opening up a space where Black Magic encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 3, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (7 vs 3) makes Pine Needle the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 24 vs 3, Cement grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 3, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.