Color spec
| Brand | Annie Sloan |
| Name | Athenian Black |
| SKU | Athenian Black |
| Hex | #000000 |
| RGB | 0, 0, 0 |
| HSL | 0°, 0%, 0% |
| LRV | 0 |
| Undertone | true neutral (no measurable hue) |
| Family | Black |
About Annie Sloan Athenian Black
At LRV 0, Athenian Black is about as dark as paint gets — it reads near-black on a wall and reveals its character only in direct daylight or under warm bulbs. Because it carries almost no measurable hue, it stays a true neutral and pairs cleanly with nearly any trim or floor. In rooms with little natural light it can feel heavy, so reserve it for spaces you want to feel enveloping.
Athenian Black earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Near-blacks like this are best as contrast — doors, trim, cabinets, window frames.
Closest matches at every US brand
20 brands · top 5 each5 closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all black from that brand.
Sherwin-Williams
Behr
Benjamin Moore
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Magnolia Home
Farrow & Ball
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Rodda
C2 Paint
Clare
Portola Paints
Backdrop
Rust-Oleum
Kompozit
Similar Annie Sloan colors
closest in the Annie Sloan deckThe nearest shades to Athenian Black within Annie Sloan's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #000000 in HSL space. Pair Athenian Black with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
Accessibility (WCAG contrast)
WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.
Annie Sloan Athenian Black Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Athenian Black from a different paint counter? Below is the single closest color in each major US deck and how close it really is. Remember that any paint store can also custom-tint Annie Sloan Athenian Black directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Athenian Black
Sherwin-Williams doesn't make a true equivalent of Athenian Black — the nearest deck color, Liberty Blue (SW 2942), is clearly different (ΔE 15.67). For an exact match, any Sherwin-Williams retailer can custom-tint Annie Sloan Athenian Black instead. See the full Liberty Blue swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Athenian Black
Behr doesn't make a true equivalent of Athenian Black — the nearest deck color, Beluga (770F-7), is clearly different (ΔE 12.93). For an exact match, any Behr retailer can custom-tint Annie Sloan Athenian Black instead. See the full Beluga swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Athenian Black
Benjamin Moore doesn't make a true equivalent of Athenian Black — the nearest deck color, Black Forest Green (HC-187), is clearly different (ΔE 12.76). For an exact match, any Benjamin Moore retailer can custom-tint Annie Sloan Athenian Black instead. See the full Black Forest Green swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Athenian Black
Valspar doesn't make a true equivalent of Athenian Black — the nearest deck color, Tuxedo (8006-8G), is clearly different (ΔE 9.85). For an exact match, any Valspar retailer can custom-tint Annie Sloan Athenian Black instead. See the full Tuxedo swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Athenian Black
PPG / Glidden doesn't make a true equivalent of Athenian Black — the nearest deck color, Starless Sky (PPG0995-7), is clearly different (ΔE 16.54). For an exact match, any PPG / Glidden retailer can custom-tint Annie Sloan Athenian Black instead. See the full Starless Sky swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Athenian Black
Glidden doesn't make a true equivalent of Athenian Black — the nearest deck color, Onyx Black (00NN 05/000), is clearly different (ΔE 16.07). For an exact match, any Glidden retailer can custom-tint Annie Sloan Athenian Black instead. See the full Onyx Black swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Athenian Black
Dutch Boy doesn't make a true equivalent of Athenian Black — the nearest deck color, True Black (438-7DB), is clearly different (ΔE 12.16). For an exact match, any Dutch Boy retailer can custom-tint Annie Sloan Athenian Black instead. See the full True Black swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Athenian Black
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams doesn't make a true equivalent of Athenian Black — the nearest deck color, Tricorn Black (HGSW 1441), is clearly different (ΔE 12.16). For an exact match, any HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams retailer can custom-tint Annie Sloan Athenian Black instead. See the full Tricorn Black swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Athenian Black
Dunn-Edwards doesn't make a true equivalent of Athenian Black — the nearest deck color, Black (DEA002), is clearly different (ΔE 15.71). For an exact match, any Dunn-Edwards retailer can custom-tint Annie Sloan Athenian Black instead. See the full Black swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Athenian Black
Magnolia Home doesn't make a true equivalent of Athenian Black — the nearest deck color, Blackboard (JG-05), is clearly different (ΔE 14.19). For an exact match, any Magnolia Home retailer can custom-tint Annie Sloan Athenian Black instead. See the full Blackboard swatch →
Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Athenian Black
Farrow & Ball doesn't make a true equivalent of Athenian Black — the nearest deck color, Pitch Black (NO. 256), is clearly different (ΔE 15.48). For an exact match, any Farrow & Ball retailer can custom-tint Annie Sloan Athenian Black instead. See the full Pitch Black swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Athenian Black
Diamond Vogel doesn't make a true equivalent of Athenian Black — the nearest deck color, Grantsburg Gray (H101), is clearly different (ΔE 15.6). For an exact match, any Diamond Vogel retailer can custom-tint Annie Sloan Athenian Black instead. See the full Grantsburg Gray swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Athenian Black
Hirshfield's doesn't make a true equivalent of Athenian Black — the nearest deck color, Silent Sea (0515), is clearly different (ΔE 10.85). For an exact match, any Hirshfield's retailer can custom-tint Annie Sloan Athenian Black instead. See the full Silent Sea swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Athenian Black
Rodda doesn't make a true equivalent of Athenian Black — the nearest deck color, Midnight (CA210), is clearly different (ΔE 17.36). For an exact match, any Rodda retailer can custom-tint Annie Sloan Athenian Black instead. See the full Midnight swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Athenian Black
C2 Paint doesn't make a true equivalent of Athenian Black — the nearest deck color, Angus (BD49), is clearly different (ΔE 16.85). For an exact match, any C2 Paint retailer can custom-tint Annie Sloan Athenian Black instead. See the full Angus swatch →
Clare Equivalent of Athenian Black
Clare doesn't make a true equivalent of Athenian Black — the nearest deck color, Blackish (PNT100-DP-54), is clearly different (ΔE 19.91). For an exact match, any Clare retailer can custom-tint Annie Sloan Athenian Black instead. See the full Blackish swatch →
Portola Paints Equivalent of Athenian Black
Portola Paints doesn't make a true equivalent of Athenian Black — the nearest deck color, Factory Black (FACTORY BLACK), is clearly different (ΔE 9.29). For an exact match, any Portola Paints retailer can custom-tint Annie Sloan Athenian Black instead. See the full Factory Black swatch →
Backdrop Equivalent of Athenian Black
Backdrop doesn't make a true equivalent of Athenian Black — the nearest deck color, Hocus Pocus (BD-HP), is clearly different (ΔE 8.23). For an exact match, any Backdrop retailer can custom-tint Annie Sloan Athenian Black instead. See the full Hocus Pocus swatch →
Rust-Oleum Equivalent of Athenian Black
The closest Rust-Oleum equivalent of Athenian Black is Black Abyss (391444). At ΔE 0 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same true neutral undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 0 vs 0). If Rust-Oleum is your counter, order Black Abyss and you'll get the same color. See the full Black Abyss swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Athenian Black
Kompozit doesn't make a true equivalent of Athenian Black — the nearest deck color, Silent Sea (0515), is clearly different (ΔE 10.85). For an exact match, any Kompozit retailer can custom-tint Annie Sloan Athenian Black instead. See the full Silent Sea swatch →