Manhattan Blue
MQ5-09 · #404457 · LRV 6 — cool blue tone, very dark — reads black in most rooms.
- 1Manhattan Blue6
- 2Waterloo13
- 3Charcoal Blue19
What Color Is Manhattan Blue, Really?
Manhattan Blue reads as a cool blue tone — very dark — reads black in most rooms. The notes below cover how Behr MQ5-09 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Manhattan Blue
Manhattan Blue earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Blues calm a room, which makes them popular in bedrooms, bathrooms and home offices.
How Lighting Changes Manhattan Blue
At LRV 6, Manhattan Blue 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. Its blue undertone is the part to watch: it gets picked up by whatever sits next to it, so test it against your trim, floor and the room's main light before committing. In rooms with little natural light it can feel heavy, so reserve it for spaces you want to feel enveloping.
Most complaints about Manhattan Blue are a light mismatch. Upload a photo of your actual room and see it on your walls — then ask for the same wall in north light or evening lamps before you buy a single sample.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint Behr MQ5-09 directly. If you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches, measured as ΔE2000. Under 2 is a difference you will not see on the wall.
| Brand | Closest color | ΔE | LRV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherwin-Williams | Charcoal BlueSW 2739 · Sherwin-Williams | 4.5 | 6 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Blackberry PunchCC-962 · Benjamin Moore | 2.0 | 5 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Emperor8003-48G · Valspar | 2.7 | 6 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Jellied342-7DB · Dutch Boy | 3.7 | 6 | Color page → |
| HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams | Oceanic TrenchHGSW 3391 · HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams | 4.5 | 6 | Color page → |
| Dunn-Edwards | Parisian NightDEA184 · Dunn-Edwards | 4.9 | 6 | Color page → |
Similar Behr Colors
The nearest shades to Manhattan Blue within Behr's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
WCAG 2.1: AA is 4.5 : 1 for normal text, 3 : 1 for large text, AAA is 7 : 1.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #404457 in HSL space. Pair Manhattan Blue with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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