Benjamin Moore Dakota Shadow#515D51 · LRV 12
Dakota Shadow reads as a green / cool — dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs. The notes below cover the spec, what Benjamin Moore 448 actually looks like under different light, and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Color spec
| Brand | Benjamin Moore |
| Name | Dakota Shadow |
| SKU | 448 |
| Hex | #515D51 |
| RGB | 81, 93, 81 |
| HSL | 120°, 7%, 34% |
| LRV | 12 |
| Undertone | green / cool |
| Family | Gray |
About Benjamin Moore Dakota Shadow
With an LRV of 12, Dakota Shadow is a deep, dramatic shade. It soaks up light in north-facing rooms and looks richest where strong daylight hits it. Its green 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.
Dakota Shadow 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.
Kompozit alternative
The closest hex in the Kompozit deck, ranked by ΔE2000 (perceptual color difference). ΔE under 2 is indistinguishable to most eyes; under 5 is a very close visual match.
Closest matches at every US brand
9 brands · top 5 each5 closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all gray from that brand.
Valspar
Magnolia Home
Dunn-Edwards
PPG / Glidden
Behr
Sherwin-Williams
Clare
Backdrop
Farrow & Ball
Similar Benjamin Moore colors
closest in the Benjamin Moore deckThe nearest shades to Dakota Shadow within Benjamin Moore'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 #515D51 in HSL space. Pair Dakota Shadow 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.