Is Sherwin-Williams Black Magic a good dupe for Farrow & Ball Railings?

Yes! Sherwin-Williams Black Magic has a 90.4% scientific visual match to Farrow & Ball Railings with a CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE) of only 2.52. On walls, the difference is virtually imperceptible under standard residential lighting.

How much do you save using Black Magic instead of Railings?

Farrow & Ball Railings retails at ~$145/gal, whereas Sherwin-Williams Black Magic costs ~$82/gal. You save $63 per gallon (43% discount), or approximately $504 on an average whole-house painting project.

Head-to-Head Dupe Analysis90.4% Match SimilaritySave $63 / Gallon

Farrow & Ball Railings
vs Sherwin-Williams Black Magic

Looking for a cheap equivalent to Railings (No. 31)? Here is the scientific comparison, spectrophotometric ΔE score, and exact formula to get this mixed at Home Depot.

⚖️ Side-by-Side Visual Comparison

Notice how the human eye perceives both shades under identical D65 daylight.

ΔE: 2.52

Original (luxury)$145/gal

Railings

Farrow & Ball (No. 31)

HEX: #32353A • LRV: 5

Budget Dupe (premium)$82/gal

Black Magic

Sherwin-Williams (SW 6991)

HEX: #313133 • LRV: 3

🎯 Editorial Verdict:"Excellent Visual Dupe (Same mood and undertone)"

Light Reflectance difference is only 2%. Once painted across an entire room, natural light bounce creates identical atmosphere.

Cost Difference

Save $63/gal (43%)

Technical Specification Comparison

Objective measurements recorded under standard CIE D65 illuminant.

Metric	Farrow & Ball Railings	Sherwin-Williams Black Magic	Difference / Notes
Hexadecimal Code	#32353A	#313133	ΔE 2.52
sRGB Coordinates	50, 53, 58	49, 49, 51	Near-parallel chromaticity
LRV (Light Reflectance)	5%	3%	Only 2% variance
Dominant Undertones	Blue-Black, Midnight Slate, Graphite	Warm Soft Black, Subtle Red Undertone, Velvet	Complementary tones
Price Per Gallon (MSRP)	$145	$82	Save $63/gal
Whole House Cost (10 gal)	$1450	$820	Save $630 Total!

🛒 How to Order this Dupe at Home Depot

Copy and present this exact prompt to the paint counter technician.

"Hi, I would like 1 gallon of Sherwin-Williams Marquee/Premium tinted to Black Magic (SW 6991). This is a verified match for Farrow & Ball Railings (No. 31)."