Backwater
0513 · #70767E · LRV 18 — cool blue tone, dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.
- 1Black Fox7
- 2Pewter Green12
- 3Backwater18
- 4Stardew43
- 5Quietude48
What Color Is Backwater, Really?
Backwater reads as a cool blue tone — dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs. The notes below cover how Diamond Vogel 0513 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Backwater
Backwater 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.
How Lighting Changes Backwater
With an LRV of 18, Backwater is a deep, dramatic shade. It soaks up light in north-facing rooms and looks richest where strong daylight hits it. Because it carries almost no measurable hue, it stays a true neutral and pairs cleanly with nearly any trim or floor. Warm artificial light softens it; cool LED can make it look flat, so match your bulbs to the mood you want.
Most complaints about Backwater 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.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint Diamond Vogel 0513 directly. If you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches, measured as ΔE2000. Under 2 is a difference you will not see on the wall.
| Brand | Closest color | ΔE | LRV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherwin-Williams | Before the StormSW 9564 · Sherwin-Williams | 2.7 | 18 | Color page → |
| Behr | Lunar ShadowUL240-4 · Behr | 3.4 | 18 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Eclipse2132-40 · Benjamin Moore | 1.6 | 20 | Color page → |
| Valspar | TinmanV114-2 · Valspar | 2.6 | 17.6 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Favorite FlannelPPG10-19 · PPG / Glidden | 0.7 | 18 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Favorite FlannelPPG10-19 · Glidden | 0.9 | 18 | Color page → |
Similar Diamond Vogel Colors
The nearest shades to Backwater within Diamond Vogel's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
WCAG 2.1: AA is 4.5 : 1 for normal text, 3 : 1 for large text, AAA is 7 : 1.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #70767E in HSL space. Pair Backwater with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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