Color guide · Behr · Gray

Whale Gray

N470-6 · #59676B · LRV 13 · cool blue-green tone

N470-6 · #59676B · LRV 13 — cool blue-green tone, dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.

Whale GrayBehr · N470-6
The color, edge to edge.Use your own photo →
Whale Gray
BEHR · N470-6 · #59676B
Brand · codeBehrN470-6 · all Behr grays
LRV13Dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.
Undertonecool blue-green tone
FamilyGray
Hex · RGB · HSL#59676B · 89, 103, 107 · 193°, 9%, 38%Display values from the brand. Match it at another brand
Sheen we recommendEggshell on walls · satin on trim and cabinetsWhich sheen where, explained
Where it sits, light to dark
  1. 1Urbane Bronze8
  2. 2Whale Gray13
  3. 3Retreat21
  4. 4Stardew43
Undertone and depth

What Color Is Whale Gray, Really?

Whale Gray reads as a cool blue-green tone — dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs. The notes below cover how Behr N470-6 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.

Room by room

Best Rooms and Uses for Whale Gray

Whale Gray 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.

Light by light

How Lighting Changes Whale Gray

With an LRV of 13, Whale Gray is a deep, dramatic shade. It soaks up light in north-facing rooms and looks richest where strong daylight hits it. Its teal 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. Warm artificial light softens it; cool LED can make it look flat, so match your bulbs to the mood you want.

Test it in your light, not a showroom's

Most complaints about Whale Gray 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.

Upload a photoPainted in about a minuteFree, no account
Visualize in your room
Same color, different store

Need It From Another Brand?

Any paint counter can custom-tint Behr N470-6 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.

Same deck, next chip over

Similar Behr Colors

The nearest shades to Whale Gray within Behr's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.

Contrast, for text and signage
Black text on Whale Gray · 3.6 : 1 · large text onlyWhite text on Whale Gray · 5.9 : 1 · passes AA

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 #59676B in HSL space. Pair Whale Gray with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#59676B + #6B5D59
TRIADIC
#59676B · #6B5967 · #676B59
ANALOGOUS
#596B66 · #59676B · #595E6B

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Jessica Williams

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