Cheating Heart
1617 · #4B4D4F · LRV 9 — neutral with no strong undertone, very dark — reads black in most rooms.
- 1Cheating Heart9
- 2Kendall Charcoal15
- 3Retreat21
What Color Is Cheating Heart, Really?
Cheating Heart reads as a neutral with no strong undertone — very dark — reads black in most rooms. The notes below cover how Benjamin Moore 1617 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Cheating Heart
Cheating Heart 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 Cheating Heart
At LRV 9, Cheating Heart 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. Because it carries almost no measurable hue, it stays a true neutral and pairs cleanly with nearly any trim or floor. In rooms with little natural light it can feel heavy, so reserve it for spaces you want to feel enveloping.
Most complaints about Cheating Heart 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 Benjamin Moore 1617 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 | 3.0 | 8 | Color page → |
| Behr | Night ClubN500-7 · Behr | 0.9 | 7 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Hematite4006-2C · Valspar | 1.9 | 7 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | WitchcraftPPG1037-7 · PPG / Glidden | 1.9 | 7 | Color page → |
| Glidden | WitchcraftPPG1037-7 · Glidden | 1.8 | 7 | Color page → |
| HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams | Rock BottomHGSW 1501 · HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams | 3.8 | 7 | Color page → |
Similar Benjamin Moore Colors
The nearest shades to Cheating Heart within Benjamin Moore'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 #4B4D4F in HSL space. Pair Cheating Heart with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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