Black Fox
SW 7020 · Sherwin-Williams
Sherwin-Williams
Black Fox
SW 7020
Subtle orange, a warm color
- Color family
- Neutral
- Sold for
- Interior and exterior
Sherwin-Williams Black Fox SW 7020 is the warm one among the popular near-blacks, a brown-black with a subtle orange lean. Its LRV of 7 makes it close to black on a wall, with the brown showing only where daylight lands. It sits at the dark end of the strip that starts with Repose Gray SW 7015, which is why it reads as that gray family taken almost to black. Exteriors, front doors and cabinets are where it is used most, usually weighed against Iron Ore SW 7069 and Urbane Bronze SW 7048.
Updated
Is Black Fox warm or cool? Undertones by the numbers
leans orange
Undertone
Subtle orange
A gentle lean, quiet on the wall.
Black Fox is measured warm with a subtle orange undertone, a small amount of red-yellow that reads as brown once a color is this dark. In a bright room beside white trim the brown is plain to see; in a dim one it disappears and the wall reads black. Warm wood and brass bring the brown forward, cool gray tile and chrome push it back toward charcoal. Iron Ore SW 7069 is the neutral version, a hair darker with no lean at all, and Tricorn Black SW 6258 is blacker still and just as neutral. Put Black Fox beside either and it looks brown. Urbane Bronze SW 7048 shares the warmth but is a touch lighter and leans yellow-brown rather than orange-brown, so it reads grayer. Sealskin SW 7675 is the nearest match, a hair darker.
Black Fox in north, south, east and west light
Black Fox needs light to show what it is. In a north-facing room the orange-brown drops out and the walls read as a slightly grayer black, darker than the LRV suggests. The warmth still keeps it from turning cold the way a blue-black would. South rooms show the brown most, especially in the afternoon, and east rooms show it at breakfast then lose it by evening. Late west sun can tip it toward a reddish brown for an hour. Bulbs at 2700K to 3000K keep it true; 4000K and up drains the warmth and leaves a flat near-black.
Watch for
- In a north room the brown vanishes and it reads as a flat, slightly gray black.
- Late west sun pulls a reddish cast out of it for an hour before sunset.
- Cool white bulbs at 4000K strip the warmth, so it looks like a colder paint at night than by day.
- Beside a true neutral like Iron Ore SW 7069 the brown is obvious, so do not mix the two on one elevation unless that is the point.
Best rooms and surfaces for Black Fox
Black Fox is at its best on surfaces that catch light: kitchen cabinets, an island, a vanity, interior doors and a fireplace surround, where the brown reads as depth. It suits a kitchen with warm counters, wood shelving and brass or aged-bronze pulls; against white quartz and chrome it can look muddy. Full walls work in a bedroom or study with a good window, giving a room that feels wrapped in dark leather rather than painted black. Keep the ceiling in a light warm white. It is a poor fit for a windowless bathroom or a narrow hallway, where it goes black and shows every scuff. White oak, walnut and terracotta tile sit well under it; cool gray tile and blue-gray stone fight the warmth.
Black Fox on an exterior
Black Fox is in the Top Exterior Colors collection and is searched more often as an exterior than as anything else, which is where its warmth pays off. In full sun the siding reads as a deep brown-black, closer to dark bronze than to black, and in shade it settles to near-black. That makes it a natural fit for a house with brick, stone, cedar or a brown roof, where a cool black would clash. As trim on a cream or tan house it outlines the windows in a softer line than Tricorn Black SW 6258 would. Extra White SW 7006 trim gives the most contrast; Eider White SW 7014 is the quieter pairing.
Try Black Fox on your own walls
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Black Fox vs Urbane Bronze, Iron Ore and Tricorn Black
Urbane BronzeBlack FoxBlack Fox vs Urbane Bronze SW 7048
Black Fox is a touch darker; undertone subtle orange vs subtle yellow-brown.
Urbane Bronze SW 7048 is a touch lighter, an LRV of 8 against 7, and both are warm. The split is in the kind of warmth: Urbane Bronze leans yellow-brown and reads as a bronze charcoal, Black Fox leans orange-brown and reads as a brown-black. On a house, Urbane Bronze shows more gray in sun while Black Fox stays browner and darker. Pick Urbane Bronze for a wall that reads gray with warmth, Black Fox for one that reads brown with depth.
Iron OreBlack FoxBlack Fox vs Iron Ore SW 7069
Black Fox is a touch lighter; undertone subtle orange vs none (a true neutral).
Iron Ore SW 7069 is a true neutral and a hair darker, an LRV of 6, so the two share a depth and differ in temperament. Iron Ore reads charcoal to soft black in every light and never shows brown. Black Fox shows its brown wherever light hits it. Choose Iron Ore for a gray-and-white palette or a modern exterior with a metal roof; choose Black Fox for warm materials, brick, cedar and brass.
Tricorn BlackBlack FoxBlack Fox vs Tricorn Black SW 6258
Black Fox is noticeably lighter; undertone subtle orange vs none (a true neutral).
Tricorn Black SW 6258 is noticeably darker, an LRV of 3, and has no lean at all, a plain black. Black Fox holds more than twice the light and reads as a brown-black beside it. Tricorn Black is the pick for crisp lines: window frames, doors, a modern trim scheme. Black Fox is the pick for a whole surface, siding or cabinets, where a hint of brown keeps a dark color from reading flat.
Questions about Black Fox
Does Black Fox look brown?
In good light, yes. Its measured undertone is a subtle orange, which reads as brown once a color is this dark. On a sunny wall or a cabinet door Black Fox shows as a brown-black. In a dim room or at night it reads simply black. If you want no brown at all, Iron Ore SW 7069 is the neutral color at the same depth.
What colors go with Black Fox?
Eider White SW 7014 is the trim and ceiling white Sherwin-Williams lists for Black Fox, with Greek Villa SW 7551 and Cool Avocado SW 9029 named as accents. Greek Villa is the warm white that suits it best in practice; Extra White SW 7006 is the crisp option. Around it, white oak, walnut, terracotta, brick and brass all pick up its warmth.
What is one shade lighter than Black Fox?
Gauntlet Gray SW 7019 is the next color up its fan-deck strip, a big jump from an LRV of 7 to 17 that reads as a clear medium-dark gray. Black Fox is the darkest on the strip, so darker means moving off it to Iron Ore SW 7069 or Tricorn Black SW 6258. For a smaller step up, Urbane Bronze SW 7048 is a touch lighter among its closest matches.
Is Black Fox good for a front door?
Yes. On a door it gives a warm black that suits brick, stone and cream siding, where a cold black can look stark, and it is rated for exterior use. In sun the brown shows; in shade it reads black. Brass and aged-bronze hardware suit it better than chrome. A satin or semi-gloss finish lets the door wipe clean.
Is Black Fox a good cabinet color?
Yes, in a kitchen with warm materials. On cabinet doors Black Fox reads as a rich brown-black that pairs with wood counters, warm stone and brass pulls; with white quartz and chrome it can look muddy. Keep the walls light and warm, Greek Villa SW 7551 for example, and give the room a good window so the brown shows.
Get a sample before you paint
Use the visualizer to narrow your shortlist, then confirm the finalist on your actual wall. A peel-and-stick sample of Black Fox, checked in morning and evening light, is the last step before a gallon.
- Made with real paint
- Delivered next day
- Peels off clean
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