Color spec
| Brand | Behr |
| Name | Beluga |
| SKU | PPU18-02 |
| Hex | #5B5953 |
| RGB | 91, 89, 83 |
| HSL | 45°, 5%, 34% |
| LRV | 11 |
| Undertone | true neutral (no measurable hue) |
| Family | Gray |
About Behr Beluga
With an LRV of 11, Beluga is a deep, dramatic shade. It soaks up light in north-facing rooms and looks richest where strong daylight hits it. Because it carries almost no measurable hue, it stays a true neutral and pairs cleanly with nearly any trim or floor. Warm artificial light softens it; cool LED can make it look flat, so match your bulbs to the mood you want.
Beluga works best as a feature — a single wall, built-ins, a study or dining room — rather than wrapping a whole bright space. Grays like this read as a modern neutral and sit comfortably alongside both warm woods and cool metals.
Closest matches by brand
15 brands within ΔE 5The closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Only colors within ΔE 5 (close enough to substitute on a wall) are shown — brands with no real match are left off. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all gray from that brand.
Sherwin-Williams
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
Kompozit
Similar Behr colors
closest in the Behr deckThe nearest shades to Beluga within Behr'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 #5B5953 in HSL space. Pair Beluga 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.
Behr Beluga Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Beluga 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 Behr PPU18-02 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Beluga
Sherwin-Williams's nearest match is Prelude (SW 9620), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.95). It runs slightly darker (LRV 9 vs 11) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Beluga without repainting risk. See the full Prelude swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Beluga
At Benjamin Moore, the closest color to Beluga is Ashwood Moss (1484) — very close at ΔE 2.63, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 11) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Ashwood Moss swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Beluga
Valspar's nearest match is Sable Evening (5006-2C), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.8). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9.9 vs 11) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Beluga without repainting risk. See the full Sable Evening swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Beluga
PPG / Glidden has no exact twin of Beluga. The nearest is Bark (PPG1007-7) at ΔE 3.56 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 11). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Bark swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Beluga
Glidden's nearest match is Forest Black (30YY 10/038), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.6). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 11) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Beluga without repainting risk. See the full Forest Black swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Beluga
Dutch Boy has no exact twin of Beluga. The nearest is Ship's Anchor (437-6DB) at ΔE 3.52 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 11). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Ship's Anchor swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Beluga
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Beluga. The nearest is Peppercorn (HGSW 1491) at ΔE 3.52 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 11). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Peppercorn swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Beluga
At Dunn-Edwards, the closest color to Beluga is Chiaroscuro (DEBN78) — very close at ΔE 2.1, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 11) and carries a warm yellow undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Chiaroscuro swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Beluga
Magnolia Home's nearest match is Conservatory (JG-158), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.89). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 11) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Beluga without repainting risk. See the full Conservatory swatch →
Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Beluga
Farrow & Ball has no exact twin of Beluga. The nearest is Reduced Green (NO. 313) at ΔE 3.95 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 11). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Reduced Green swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Beluga
At Diamond Vogel, the closest color to Beluga is Grime (0444) — very close at ΔE 3.47, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 11) and carries a warm yellow undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Grime swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Beluga
Hirshfield's has no exact twin of Beluga. The nearest is Smokescreen (0556) at ΔE 4.4 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 12 vs 11). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Smokescreen swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Beluga
Rodda's nearest match is Space Dive (R023), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.26). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 11 vs 11) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Beluga without repainting risk. See the full Space Dive swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Beluga
C2 Paint's nearest match is Muddy Waters (C2-869), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.76). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 11) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Beluga without repainting risk. See the full Muddy Waters swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Beluga
Kompozit has no exact twin of Beluga. The nearest is Smokescreen (0556) at ΔE 4.4 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 11). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Smokescreen swatch →