Color spec
| Brand | Benjamin Moore |
| Name | Salamander |
| SKU | 2050-10 |
| Hex | #2E3A2E |
| RGB | 46, 58, 46 |
| HSL | 120°, 12%, 20% |
| LRV | 5 |
| Undertone | cool green tone |
| Family | Black |
What Color Is Salamander, Really?
Salamander (2050-10) is a near-black green from Benjamin Moore. On paper it is a green, but with a light reflectance value of just 5 and very low saturation, it reads as almost black in most rooms. The green only surfaces where light hits it directly. Think of it as a soft charcoal that has a forest cast instead of a pure gray one.
It earned its following as a more sophisticated stand-in for Wrought Iron, giving designers a deep, grounded color that feels a little warmer and more organic than a flat black. That quiet green depth is why it keeps showing up on doors, cabinets, and feature walls.
Salamander suits homes that want drama without going stark. It works for a moody study, a modern-traditional kitchen island, or an exterior that needs to look substantial and calm rather than loud.
Salamander sits at a hue of 120, which is squarely green, but its saturation is only 12 percent. That is barely above neutral, so most of the time you are looking at a very dark, near-black color with a faint green lean rather than an obvious green. The undertone is cool, so it never tips toward olive or warm khaki.
The green shows up in specific conditions: direct sun on the surface, bright bulbs, or when it sits next to a true black or a warm wood. Against a crisp white it can look almost charcoal; against greenery or brass it warms up and the forest note appears.
To test it honestly, brush a sample next to a pure black like Black (2132-10) and a warmer near-black. Salamander will look greener than the black and cooler than a brown-black, which tells you the lean is real but subtle.
Best Rooms and Uses for Salamander
Because its LRV is so low, Salamander is a statement and contrast color, not a whole-room light color. Painting every wall of a small or dark room in it will make the space feel like a cave, so reserve that treatment for rooms you want to feel enveloping, like a study, media room, or powder room with good lighting.
It is strongest as an accent. On a front door it looks substantial and welcoming without the harshness of black. On kitchen or bathroom cabinets and a kitchen island, it grounds the room and pairs cleanly with light counters and warm wood. As an exterior body or trim color it gives a home a calm, established look, and it handles shutters and window sashes well.
On interior trim it can work for high-contrast, moody schemes, but most homes will want it on the feature element and a light neutral on the walls.
How Lighting Changes Salamander
With an LRV of 5, Salamander absorbs almost all the light that reaches it, so lighting mostly controls whether you read it as black or as green, not whether it looks light or dark. It will always look dark.
In north-facing rooms, the cool, flat light pushes it toward a solid near-black and mutes the green almost completely. East and west rooms give you the most movement: morning or evening sun rakes across the surface and briefly reveals the forest tone before it settles back to dark. South-facing rooms with strong daylight show the most green during the day.
Bulb choice matters too. Warm bulbs around 2700K soften it and can bring out a hint of warmth, while cool daylight bulbs keep it reading as a deep, graphite green. In a dim room it will simply read black, so plan for good directional or accent lighting if you want the color to show.
Most complaints about Salamander 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.
TEST IT IN YOUR LIGHT →Salamander vs Similar Colors
Salamander's closest relative is Essex Green (HC-188, LRV 6). Essex Green is a touch more clearly green and slightly lighter, so it reads more like a classic dark forest green, especially on shutters. Salamander is quieter and blacker, which suits people who want the green to be a secret rather than the headline.
Black Knight (2136-10, LRV 5) sits at the same darkness but leans cool gray-black instead of green. If you compare them side by side, Salamander looks warmer and more organic; Black Knight looks more like a straight near-black. Choose Black Knight when you want black with no color story.
Wrought Iron (2124-10, LRV 6) is the color Salamander is often spec'd against. Wrought Iron is a very dark warm-leaning charcoal, while Salamander adds that green cast, making it feel a little richer and more sophisticated in the same near-black range.
Colors That Go With Salamander
For trim and ceilings, a high-LRV white keeps the contrast crisp. White Dove (OC-17) at LRV 85 is soft and slightly warm, which flatters Salamander's green without going cold. If you want a cleaner, brighter edge, Chantilly Lace (OC-65) at LRV 92 gives you the sharpest contrast.
For walls when Salamander is the accent, warm neutrals balance its depth. Revere Pewter (HC-172, LRV 56) and Edgecomb Gray (HC-173, LRV 63) both read light and grounded next to it. Pale Oak (OC-20, LRV 67) is a softer, quieter option in the same range.
For a second deep color or an accent, Hale Navy (HC-154, LRV 6) pairs as a companion dark in blue, while Palladian Blue (HC-144, LRV 53) adds a soft blue-green highlight. Chelsea Gray (HC-168, LRV 22) bridges the two if you want a mid-tone step. Natural oak or walnut and aged brass hardware round it out.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint Benjamin Moore 2050-10 directly — but if you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches:
Similar Benjamin Moore colors
closest in the Benjamin Moore deckThe nearest shades to Salamander 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 #2E3A2E in HSL space. Pair Salamander 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.
The Questions Everyone Asks
Is Salamander warm or cool?
Salamander reads cool. Its undertone is a cool green, so even though it is near-black, it leans slightly toward forest rather than warm brown or khaki. In flat north light it can look like a neutral near-black, but under warm bulbs or direct sun the cool green quietly comes forward. It never tips warm the way a brown-black would.
Is Salamander more green or more black?
In most rooms it reads black. With an LRV of 5 and only 12 percent saturation, the green is a subtle lean, not the main event. You will notice the forest tone mainly in direct sun, under bright light, or next to a true black. In dim or evenly lit rooms, Salamander looks like a very dark, slightly soft near-black.
What trim white goes with Salamander?
White Dove (OC-17), at an LRV of 85, is a reliable trim choice. It is soft and slightly warm, so it flatters Salamander's green without looking cold against it. If you want a brighter, higher-contrast edge, Chantilly Lace (OC-65) at LRV 92 gives the crispest white line beside this deep color.
Does Salamander work on cabinets and exteriors?
Yes. Its very low LRV makes it a strong accent color, which is exactly what cabinets, islands, front doors, and shutters want. On exteriors it gives a home a calm, established look and pairs well with light trim and natural wood. Just avoid using it on every wall of a small, dark room, where it can feel like a cave.
What does an LRV of 5 mean for Salamander?
LRV measures how much light a color reflects, from 0 (black) to 100 (white). At 5, Salamander absorbs almost all the light that hits it, so it always looks dark and can bounce very little light back into a room. Practically, that means it works best as a contrast or feature color and needs good lighting nearby to show its green.
How is Salamander different from Essex Green?
Essex Green (HC-188), at LRV 6, is slightly lighter and more clearly green, reading like a classic dark forest color, especially on shutters. Salamander is quieter and blacker, keeping its green as a subtle undertone rather than an obvious statement. Choose Essex Green when you want the green to show, and Salamander when you want a near-black with just a hint of it.
Will It Work in YOUR Room?
No page can promise how Salamander behaves in your light. Upload a photo and see it on your own walls in seconds — before you spend a cent on samples.
TRY SALAMANDER ON YOUR ROOM →
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