Benjamin Moore Historical Black#3D3A36 · LRV 5
Historical Black reads as a red-orange / warm — very dark — reads black in most rooms. The notes below cover the spec, what Benjamin Moore AF-680 actually looks like under different light, and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Color spec
| Brand | Benjamin Moore |
| Name | Historical Black |
| SKU | AF-680 |
| Hex | #3D3A36 |
| RGB | 61, 58, 54 |
| HSL | 34°, 6%, 23% |
| LRV | 5 |
| Undertone | red-orange / warm |
| Family | Black |
About Benjamin Moore Historical Black
At LRV 5, Historical 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 orange 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.
Historical 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.
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 black from that brand.
Behr
Farrow & Ball
Valspar
Dunn-Edwards
PPG / Glidden
Magnolia Home
Sherwin-Williams
Clare
Similar Benjamin Moore colors
closest in the Benjamin Moore deckThe nearest shades to Historical Black 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 #3D3A36 in HSL space. Pair Historical 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.