Black Magic
SW 6991 · Sherwin-Williams
Sherwin-Williams
Black Magic
SW 6991
None (a true neutral), a true neutral
- Color family
- Neutral
- Sold for
- Interior and exterior
Sherwin-Williams Black Magic SW 6991 is a true black, a neutral with no lean the eye can pick out. Its LRV of 3 means it reflects almost no light, so on a wall it reads as black in every exposure. On the fan deck it sits between Tricorn Black SW 6258 and Caviar SW 6990, and the three are close enough that choosing comes down to a hair of depth. It goes on front doors, exteriors, trim and accent walls.
Updated
Is Black Magic warm or cool? Undertones by the numbers
too close to gray to lean
Undertone
None (a true neutral)
A true neutral, no lean at all.
Measured, Black Magic carries a trace of violet so faint that the method counts it as none: a true neutral. That trace is a hair more than Tricorn Black SW 6258 has and the same as Caviar SW 6990. None of it is visible on a wall; all three read as the same flat black. What you see instead is borrowed. Next to a warm white and oak the black looks a shade cool, and next to a blue-white a shade warm. Beside brass it picks up a faint glow. The two blacks further along its strip, Inkwell SW 6992 and Black of Night SW 6993, carry real blue by comparison. Iron Ore SW 7069 at the far end is a charcoal rather than a black.
Black Magic in north, south, east and west light
With no undertone to flip, Black Magic looks the same color from every window; what changes is how much surface detail you can see. In a north-facing room it becomes a flat black plane and hides the profile of doors and panels. Give a north room a sheen with some reflection, or keep the color to trim. South and west light show texture, dust and roller marks, which is why matte suits walls and satin suits doors. East light is the gentlest on it. Any bulb suits it; warm 2700K lamps keep a black room from feeling cold at night.
Watch for
- In a north room it flattens into one dark plane and hides door panels and trim profiles.
- Direct sun across a matte wall shows roller marks and touch-ups that a lighter paint would hide.
- Outdoors around midday it reads as a very dark charcoal, not the black on the chip.
Best rooms and surfaces for Black Magic
Black Magic works best as a line or an object: interior doors, window sashes, stair spindles, a range hood, a vanity, the island in a bright kitchen. On those it gives a sharp edge against a warm white like Snowbound SW 7004, and the hardware decides the mood, brass for warmth or nickel for a cooler look. A full accent wall suits a dining room, powder room or bedroom with strong daylight or good lamps, where black reads as depth rather than absence. Whole rooms and windowless bathrooms are where it fails, closing in and showing every fingerprint. Cabinets in Black Magic need a big window and a pale counter; in a small kitchen they swallow the light. It pairs with white oak, marble, white quartz and pale terrazzo, and with any wood tone, since nothing in it clashes.
Black Magic on an exterior
Black Magic is in the Top Exterior Colors collection and is searched most as a door and exterior color. Full sun lifts it to a very dark charcoal for the middle of the day, and it returns to black in shade and by evening. Tricorn Black SW 6258 behaves the same way, so pick between them on the chip, not on the wall. On siding it suits a modern house with a standing-seam roof and Extra White SW 7006 trim. On a front door or shutters it works against nearly any siding color. A black runs hot in sun, so confirm that vinyl or composite siding is rated for it.
Try Black Magic on your own walls
Upload a photo of your room, or the outside of your house, and TryMyHome renders Black Magic onto the walls so you can judge it in your light, with your floors and furniture. Your first five renders are free.
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Black Magic vs Tricorn Black, Caviar and Iron Ore
Tricorn BlackBlack MagicBlack Magic vs Tricorn Black SW 6258
Black Magic is a touch lighter; both have a none (a true neutral) undertone.
Tricorn Black SW 6258 is one step darker on the same fan-deck strip, an LRV of 3 for both once rounded, and the two measure as near-identical neutrals. No wall, door or house will show the gap. The practical difference is that Tricorn Black is the better-known name, so it is easier to find already painted in showrooms and photos. Pick either; if you liked a Tricorn Black sample and want the same result, this is it.
CaviarBlack MagicBlack Magic vs Caviar SW 6990
Black Magic is a touch lighter; both have a none (a true neutral) undertone.
Caviar SW 6990 is the other neighbor, a tenth of a point lighter by LRV and the closest match on the whole fan deck. Both are true neutrals, and the pair is as close to interchangeable as two paint colors get. Caviar carries the same coordinating white, Snowbound SW 7004. If you are choosing between them for a door, choose by which chip is in your hand, since the wall will not tell them apart.
Iron OreBlack MagicBlack Magic vs Iron Ore SW 7069
Black Magic is a touch darker; both have a none (a true neutral) undertone.
Iron Ore SW 7069 is the lightest color on this strip, reflecting nearly twice the light of Black Magic, and it reads as charcoal where Black Magic reads black. Both are neutral. Pick Iron Ore for a whole exterior or a room of walls, where a little gray keeps the surface from going flat. Pick Black Magic when you want an unmistakable black: a door, window frames, a hood, one wall in a bright room.
Questions about Black Magic
Does Black Magic look blue or purple?
No. Its measured trace of color sits in the violet range, but it is so small that the method counts it as no undertone, and it never shows on a wall. Any blue or purple you see is reflected from a blue-white trim, a cool floor or a north window. The blacks that do lean blue are Inkwell SW 6992 and Black of Night SW 6993, two steps along the same strip.
What colors go with Black Magic?
Sherwin-Williams lists Snowbound SW 7004 as the trim and ceiling white for Black Magic. The listed accents, Lemon Meringue SW 7561 and Anjou Pear SW 6381, are warm yellows that keep a black scheme from feeling cold. In practice any white and any wood suit it, and white oak, marble and brass are the usual companions. A light greige on the surrounding walls keeps an open plan from going dark.
Is Black Magic good for a front door?
Yes. A front door is one of its two most common uses, and it is rated for exterior use. In sun the door lifts to a very dark charcoal and in shade it is black; there is no undertone to argue with the siding. Semi-gloss gives the cleanest black on a door and wipes down easily. Brass, black and nickel hardware all suit it.
What is one shade lighter than Black Magic?
Inkwell SW 6992 and Black of Night SW 6993 sit one step lighter on the fan-deck strip, at the same LRV as each other. Neither step is visible on a wall. The first lighter black you can see is Greenblack SW 6994, and the first that reads charcoal is Iron Ore SW 7069. One step darker is Caviar SW 6990, then Tricorn Black SW 6258, both equally invisible as steps.
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 Magic, 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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