Color spec
| Brand | Benjamin Moore |
| Name | Kensington Blue |
| SKU | 840 |
| Hex | #4B5A71 |
| RGB | 75, 90, 113 |
| HSL | 216°, 20%, 37% |
| LRV | 10 |
| Undertone | cool blue tone |
| Family | Blue |
About Benjamin Moore Kensington Blue
With an LRV of 10, Kensington Blue is a deep, dramatic shade. It soaks up light in north-facing rooms and looks richest where strong daylight hits it. 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. Warm artificial light softens it; cool LED can make it look flat, so match your bulbs to the mood you want.
Kensington Blue works best as a feature — a single wall, built-ins, a study or dining room — rather than wrapping a whole bright space. Blues calm a room, which makes them popular in bedrooms, bathrooms and home offices.
Closest matches by brand
13 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 blue from that brand.
Sherwin-Williams
Behr
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dunn-Edwards
Magnolia Home
Farrow & Ball
Diamond Vogel
C2 Paint
Portola Paints
Backdrop
Kompozit
Similar Benjamin Moore colors
closest in the Benjamin Moore deckThe nearest shades to Kensington Blue 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 #4B5A71 in HSL space. Pair Kensington Blue 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.
Benjamin Moore Kensington Blue Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Kensington Blue 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 Benjamin Moore 840 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Kensington Blue
Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Kensington Blue. The nearest is Mineral Gray (SW 2740) at ΔE 4.92 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 10). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Mineral Gray swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Kensington Blue
Behr's nearest match is Script Ink (N540-6), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.92). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 10) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Kensington Blue without repainting risk. See the full Script Ink swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Kensington Blue
At Valspar, the closest color to Kensington Blue is Dark Night (4003-4C) — very close at ΔE 2.02, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10.2 vs 10) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Dark Night swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Kensington Blue
At PPG / Glidden, the closest color to Kensington Blue is Blue Fjord (PPG1163-6) — very close at ΔE 3.44, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 11 vs 10) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Blue Fjord swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Kensington Blue
Glidden doesn't make a true equivalent of Kensington Blue — the nearest deck color, Approaching Storm (90BG 11/101), is clearly different (ΔE 5). For an exact match, any Glidden retailer can custom-tint Benjamin Moore 840 instead. See the full Approaching Storm swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Kensington Blue
Dunn-Edwards's nearest match is Midnight Sun (DET580), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.6). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 10) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Kensington Blue without repainting risk. See the full Midnight Sun swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Kensington Blue
Magnolia Home has no exact twin of Kensington Blue. The nearest is Together (JG-87) at ΔE 4.9 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 10). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Together swatch →
Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Kensington Blue
Farrow & Ball has no exact twin of Kensington Blue. The nearest is Stiffkey Blue (NO. 281) at ΔE 3.91 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 10). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Stiffkey Blue swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Kensington Blue
Diamond Vogel's nearest match is Into the Stratosphere (0627), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.38). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 10) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Kensington Blue without repainting risk. See the full Into the Stratosphere swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Kensington Blue
At C2 Paint, the closest color to Kensington Blue is Major Tom (C2-760) — very close at ΔE 2.91, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 10) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Major Tom swatch →
Backdrop Equivalent of Kensington Blue
At Backdrop, the closest color to Kensington Blue is We Three Kings (BD-WK) — very close at ΔE 3.31, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly darker (LRV 8 vs 10) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full We Three Kings swatch →