Poppy Seed
PPU15-20 · #4A4E55 · LRV 8 — cool blue tone, very dark — reads black in most rooms.
- 1Poppy Seed8
- 2Kendall Charcoal15
- 3Retreat21
What Color Is Poppy Seed, Really?
Poppy Seed reads as a cool blue tone — very dark — reads black in most rooms. The notes below cover how Behr PPU15-20 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Poppy Seed
Poppy Seed earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Grays like this read as a modern neutral and sit comfortably alongside both warm woods and cool metals.
How Lighting Changes Poppy Seed
At LRV 8, Poppy Seed 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 Poppy Seed 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 PPU15-20 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 | Perle NoirSW 9154 · Sherwin-Williams | 3.5 | 8 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Midnight Blue1638 · Benjamin Moore | 2.1 | 8 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Hematite4006-2C · Valspar | 1.5 | 7 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | WitchcraftPPG1037-7 · PPG / Glidden | 1.4 | 7 | Color page → |
| Glidden | High SalutePPG1039-7 · Glidden | 4.3 | 8 | Color page → |
| Dunn-Edwards | Black PearlDEA186 · Dunn-Edwards | 2.1 | 8 | Color page → |
Similar Behr Colors
The nearest shades to Poppy Seed 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 #4A4E55 in HSL space. Pair Poppy Seed with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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