Blackened vs Pigeon
Both from Farrow & Ball's palette. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. Blackened (LRV 71) reflects noticeably more light than Pigeon (LRV 51), a difference of 20 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean neutral, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. With a ΔE of 22.7, 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 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Blackened vs Pigeon in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Blackened and Pigeon 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 Blackened will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Pigeon 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. Blackened reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Pigeon.
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. Blackened reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Pigeon.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Blackened reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Pigeon.
Color Details
Blackened vs Pigeon Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Blackened on one side and Pigeon 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 Blackened comparisons
See how Blackened stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 71), opening up a space where Blackened encloses it.
At LRV 71 vs 52, Blackened is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 71 vs 30, Blackened is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (71 vs 60) makes Blackened the marginally brighter of the two.
Blackened reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 58), opening up a space where Accessible Beige encloses it.
Blackened reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 71 vs 43, Blackened is decisively the brighter choice.
Blackened reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 55), opening up a space where Tranquil Dawn encloses it.
Blackened reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 71, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Blackened reads slightly lighter (LRV 71 vs 66), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Shoji White reads slightly lighter (LRV 74 vs 71), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Blackened reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Blackened reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
With LRVs of 71 and 68, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Blackened reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Blackened reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 71 vs 31, Blackened is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 71 vs 7, Blackened is decisively the brighter choice.