Black Swan vs Quixotic Plum
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Black Swan reads as grey, while Quixotic Plum reads as blue-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (4 vs 6), so they'll read as similarly Dark in most lighting conditions. Black Swan runs neutral while Quixotic Plum is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. The ΔE 7.9 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Black Swan vs Quixotic Plum in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Black Swan and Quixotic Plum are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
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 Quixotic Plum and Black Swan is what sets these apart most in this context.
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. Quixotic Plum brings more warmth to the space, while Black Swan 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. Quixotic Plum brings more warmth to the space, while Black Swan keeps things cooler and crisper.
Color Details
Black Swan vs Quixotic Plum Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Black Swan on one side and Quixotic Plum 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 Swan comparisons
See how Black Swan stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Swan encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 4, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 6 and 4, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 52 vs 4, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 4, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Swan encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 4, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Swan encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Swan encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 4, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 4 vs 4), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Swan encloses it.
Bancha reads slightly lighter (LRV 13 vs 4), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Swan encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 4, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 21 vs 4, Artichoke is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Swan encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Swan encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Swan encloses it.
Pewter Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 4), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Swan encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 4, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 4, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 25 vs 4, Treron is decisively the brighter choice.
Vintage Vogue reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 4), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Swan encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 4, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
A 3-point LRV gap (7 vs 4) makes Pine Needle the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 24 vs 4, Cement grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 4, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.