Black Swan vs Cloak Gray
Black Swan and Cloak Gray come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. The 7-point LRV gap — 11 for Cloak Gray vs 4 for Black Swan — means Cloak Gray will open up a space more effectively. Both share a neutral character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. A ΔE of 16.7 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Black Swan vs Cloak Gray in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Black Swan and Cloak Gray 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
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Cloak Gray reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Cloak Gray has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Cloak Gray has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Black Swan vs Cloak Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Black Swan on one side and Cloak Gray 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.