Color spec
| Brand | Behr |
| Name | Spade Black |
| SKU | BNC-38 |
| Hex | #2D3439 |
| RGB | 45, 52, 57 |
| HSL | 205°, 12%, 20% |
| LRV | 3 |
| Undertone | cool blue tone |
| Family | Black |
About Behr Spade Black
At LRV 3, Spade 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. 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.
Spade 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 by brand
11 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 black from that brand.
Sherwin-Williams
Benjamin Moore
Valspar
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Magnolia Home
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Portola Paints
Rust-Oleum
Kompozit
Similar Behr colors
closest in the Behr deckThe nearest shades to Spade Black 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 #2D3439 in HSL space. Pair Spade 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.
Behr Spade Black Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Spade 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 Behr BNC-38 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Spade Black
Sherwin-Williams's nearest match is Inkwell (SW 6992), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.27). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 4 vs 3) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Spade Black without repainting risk. See the full Inkwell swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Spade Black
At Benjamin Moore, the closest color to Spade Black is Black Knight (2136-10) — very close at ΔE 2.53, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 5 vs 3) and carries a cool blue-green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Black Knight swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Spade Black
At Valspar, the closest color to Spade Black is Very Black (5011-2) — very close at ΔE 2.63, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 3.2 vs 3) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Very Black swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Spade Black
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Spade Black. The nearest is Caviar (HGSW 6990) at ΔE 4.8 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 3 vs 3). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Caviar swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Spade Black
At Magnolia Home, the closest color to Spade Black is Blackboard (JG-05) — very close at ΔE 2.61, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 3 vs 3) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Blackboard swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Spade Black
Diamond Vogel has no exact twin of Spade Black. The nearest is Grantsburg Gray (H101) at ΔE 4.22 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 4 vs 3). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Grantsburg Gray swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Spade Black
Hirshfield's has no exact twin of Spade Black. The nearest is Sayward Pine (H0101) at ΔE 4.41 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 4 vs 3). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Sayward Pine swatch →
Portola Paints Equivalent of Spade Black
At Portola Paints, the closest color to Spade Black is Story Teller (STORY TELLER) — very close at ΔE 2.5, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 3 vs 3) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Story Teller swatch →
Rust-Oleum Equivalent of Spade Black
At Rust-Oleum, the closest color to Spade Black is Charcoal (285144) — very close at ΔE 2.72, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 4 vs 3) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Charcoal swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Spade Black
Kompozit has no exact twin of Spade Black. The nearest is Octavius (0522) at ΔE 4.3 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 4 vs 3). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Octavius swatch →