Color spec
| Brand | Clare |
| Name | Goodnight Moon |
| SKU | Clare 10 |
| Hex | #3F4458 |
| RGB | 63, 68, 88 |
| HSL | 228°, 17%, 30% |
| LRV | 6 |
| Undertone | cool blue tone |
| Family | Blue |
What Color Is Goodnight Moon, Really?
Goodnight Moon (Clare 10) is a very dark blue that reads almost black on the wall. Its hex is #3F4458 and its LRV is just 6, which puts it near the bottom of the light scale. In the numbers, the hue sits at 228 degrees (solidly blue) with 17 percent saturation, so the blue is real but quiet. In a dim corner it can pass for charcoal or ink; in good light the blue steps forward.
This is Clare's signature dark blue, and it earned a following through features in Domino and Apartment Therapy. People reach for it when they want the drama of a near-black without the flatness of true black.
It suits a moody dining room, a study, a front door, or a bank of cabinets. It fits both traditional homes that want a deep classic navy-black and modern spaces after a saturated statement wall.
Goodnight Moon leans cool and blue. At 17 percent saturation it is not a gray masquerading as blue, but it is also far from a vivid royal. That middle ground is why it can read as charcoal in one room and clearly blue in another. The blue shows most on a wall that catches direct daylight or under a bright, cool bulb. In shadow or with warm incandescent light, the color deepens toward near-black and the blue recedes.
Before you commit, test it against a true black and against a lighter navy at the same time. Next to real black, Goodnight Moon looks softer and bluer. Next to a mid-tone navy, it looks darker and more neutral. Paint a large sample board and move it around the room across the day, because at this depth the surrounding light does most of the work.
Best Rooms and Uses for Goodnight Moon
At LRV 6 this is a statement color, not a whole-home light. Use it where you want depth and contrast. On four walls it turns a dining room, study, powder room, or bedroom into a cocoon, which works best when the room has good natural light or generous lamps to keep it from feeling closed in.
It is a strong pick for cabinets, especially kitchen islands, lowers, or a built-in bookcase, where the near-black blue grounds the room without the harshness of true black. As an accent wall behind a bed or fireplace it adds weight without color-blocking the whole space.
Outside, it makes an excellent front door and shutter color, giving a classic dark-navy look with more life than black. It also works as deep exterior body color on the right architecture. Reserve it for trim only when you want inky window sashes against a pale wall.
How Lighting Changes Goodnight Moon
With an LRV of 6, Goodnight Moon absorbs almost all the light that hits it, so exposure matters more than usual. In a north-facing room, where light is cool and steady, it stays dark and its blue reads honestly, though the space will feel enclosed. South-facing rooms get the most sun, and that is where the blue lifts and shows best without turning the wall flat black.
East-facing rooms give you crisp blue in the morning and a deep, shadowy color by afternoon. West-facing rooms flip that, warming and blackening early, then glowing bluer in evening light.
Bulb choice pushes it either way. Cool or daylight bulbs (4000K and up) keep the blue awake. Warm bulbs (2700K) mute the blue and let the color settle into a soft black. In any low-light spot, plan on plenty of lamps.
Most complaints about Goodnight Moon 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 →Goodnight Moon vs Similar Colors
Blackish (PNT100-DP-54, LRV 6) matches Goodnight Moon for depth but drops the blue. It is a true dark near-neutral, so if you want the drama of a black wall without any color cast, Blackish is the safer pick. Goodnight Moon keeps a visible blue lean that shows in daylight.
Blackest (PNT100-DP-55, LRV 8) is a hair lighter and also more neutral, closer to a deep charcoal. Choose it when you want almost-black that stays quiet under any light rather than shifting blue.
Deep Dive (PNT100-MD-40, LRV 12) is the meaningful step up in both lightness and color. At LRV 12 it reads clearly as a teal-leaning blue-green, not a near-black. Pick Deep Dive when you actually want to see the color on the wall, and Goodnight Moon when you want a moody, black-adjacent blue.
Colors That Go With Goodnight Moon
Because Goodnight Moon is so dark, its best partners are much lighter, which sets up the contrast that makes it read as intentional. For trim and ceilings, Snow Day (Clare 04, LRV 92) is a clean high-contrast white that keeps edges crisp. If you want a softer, warmer frame, Beach House (Clare 01, LRV 84) leans creamy and takes the hard edge off.
For an adjacent wall or the next room, Greige (Clare 07, LRV 50) bridges the dark blue to the rest of the house without competing. Mainstay (Clare 05, LRV 65) does the same job a shade lighter and airier.
For accents, Bowie (Clare 21, LRV 8) is a deep red that pops against the blue on a door or in textiles, while Cracker Jack (Clare 17, LRV 16) adds a warm terracotta note. Natural wood tones and both brass and matte-black metals all sit well against it.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint Clare Clare 10 directly — but if you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches:
Similar Clare colors
closest in the Clare deckThe nearest shades to Goodnight Moon within Clare'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 #3F4458 in HSL space. Pair Goodnight Moon 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 Goodnight Moon warm or cool?
Goodnight Moon is a cool color. Its hue sits at 228 degrees, which is solidly blue, with moderate 17 percent saturation. That makes it cool but not icy. In bright or cool light the blue is clear; in warm light or shadow it deepens toward near-black. It never turns warm, but warm bulbs will quiet the blue considerably.
Is Goodnight Moon more blue or more black?
Both, depending on light. With an LRV of only 6 it is dark enough to read as near-black across a room, especially in dim corners. But it holds a genuine blue undertone that steps forward in direct daylight or under cool bulbs. Think of it as a dark blue that behaves like a soft black, not a true flat black.
What trim white goes with Goodnight Moon?
A bright, high-LRV white gives the cleanest contrast. Snow Day (Clare 04, LRV 92) is a crisp white that keeps trim and ceilings sharp against the dark wall. If you prefer a softer, warmer frame, Beach House (Clare 01, LRV 84) is a creamier off-white that takes the edge off the contrast while still reading clearly light.
Does Goodnight Moon work on cabinets and exteriors?
Yes to both. On cabinets, especially islands, lowers, or built-ins, its near-black blue grounds a room with more life than true black. Outside it makes a strong front door, shutter, and deep body color, giving a classic dark-navy look. Because it is so dark, pair it with lighter trim or countertops so the depth reads as intentional.
What does an LRV of 6 mean for Goodnight Moon?
LRV measures how much light a color reflects, on a scale of 0 (black) to 100 (white). At 6, Goodnight Moon reflects very little light, so it reads as one of the darkest colors you can put on a wall. In practice that means it deepens any room and needs good natural light or plenty of lamps to stay from feeling closed in.
How is Goodnight Moon different from Deep Dive?
Deep Dive (Clare, PNT100-MD-40) has an LRV of 12, twice as reflective as Goodnight Moon's 6, and reads clearly as a teal-leaning blue-green on the wall. Goodnight Moon stays much darker and reads as a near-black blue. Choose Deep Dive when you want to see the color, and Goodnight Moon when you want moody, black-adjacent depth.
Will It Work in YOUR Room?
No page can promise how Goodnight Moon behaves in your light. Upload a photo and see it on your own walls in seconds — before you spend a cent on samples.
TRY GOODNIGHT MOON ON YOUR ROOM →
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