Black Bean vs Cracked Pepper
Black Bean and Cracked Pepper come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 4 vs 5 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. Both share a warm character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. ΔE 4.1 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Black Bean vs Cracked Pepper in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Black Bean and Cracked Pepper 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.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Front Door
On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Color Details
Black Bean vs Cracked Pepper Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Black Bean on one side and Cracked Pepper 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 Bean comparisons
See how Black Bean stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Bean encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 4, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 6 vs 4), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Bean encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Bean encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 4, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Bean encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 4, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 4, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Bean encloses it.
With LRVs of 4 and 4, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 55 vs 4, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (13 vs 4) makes Bancha the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 44 vs 4, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Bean encloses it.
Artichoke reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Bean encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 4, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 4, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 4, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Bean encloses it.
A 8-point LRV gap (12 vs 4) makes Pewter Green the marginally brighter of the two.
A 5-point LRV gap (8 vs 4) makes Duck Green the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 4, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Bean encloses it.
A 8-point LRV gap (12 vs 4) makes Vintage Vogue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 4, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Bean encloses it.