Perle Noir vs Plum Brown
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (8 vs 6), so they'll read as similarly Dark in most lighting conditions. Perle Noir runs neutral while Plum Brown is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. The ΔE 5.9 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Perle Noir vs Plum Brown in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Perle Noir and Plum Brown 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.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The temperature contrast between Plum Brown and Perle Noir is what sets these apart most in this context.
Color Details
Perle Noir vs Plum Brown Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Perle Noir on one side and Plum Brown 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 Perle Noir comparisons
See how Perle Noir stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
With LRVs of 8 and 6, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 84 vs 8, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.