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DUNN-EDWARDS · DE6391

Dunn-Edwards Black Russian#5C5451 · LRV 9

Black Russian reads as a red / warm — very dark — reads black in most rooms. The notes below cover the spec, what Dunn-Edwards DE6391 actually looks like under different light, and the closest matches at competing US brands.

SEE IN A ROOM → CALCULATE PAINT NEEDED →
DUNN-EDWARDS BLACK RUSSIAN
RGB 92, 84, 81 LRV 9

Color spec

Brand Dunn-Edwards
Name Black Russian
SKU DE6391
Hex #5C5451
RGB 92, 84, 81
HSL 16°, 6%, 34%
LRV 9
Undertone red / warm
Family Gray

About Dunn-Edwards Black Russian

At LRV 9, Black Russian 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 red 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.

Black Russian earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Grays like this read as a modern neutral and sit comfortably alongside both warm woods and cool metals.

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.

KOMPOZIT
Gargoyle
SKU 0550 · #60544F · LRV 9
ΔE 2.1 (close)
SHOP KOMPOZIT ON AMAZON →

Closest matches at every US brand

9 brands · top 5 each

5 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 gray from that brand.

Behr

4,699 colors in deck · best ΔE 0.79
All gray at Behr →
MQ2-54
#5E5551
Gardeners Soil
ΔE 0.79 · LRV 9
HDC-AC-07
#5D504A
Oak Creek
ΔE 2.92 · LRV 9
UL130-1
#5E504A
Scented Clove
ΔE 3.27 · LRV 9
QE-62
#555657
Maximum Gray
ΔE 5.17 · LRV 9
MQ6-24
#5C584E
Windgate Hill
ΔE 5.43 · LRV 10

PPG / Glidden

2,088 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.62
All gray at PPG / Glidden →
1007-7
#5F5854
Bark
ΔE 1.62 · LRV 10
1021-7
#5E5349
Cabin Fever
ΔE 3.85 · LRV 9
1017-7
#60504B
Chocolate Pretzel
ΔE 3.99 · LRV 9
1076-7
#63554B
Ground Coffee
ΔE 4.25 · LRV 10
13-18
#605258
Pinot Noir
ΔE 6.29 · LRV 9

Benjamin Moore

3,934 colors in deck · best ΔE 2
All gray at Benjamin Moore →
2112-30
#5F544E
Stone Brown
ΔE 2 · LRV 10
1463
#60544F
Topeka Taupe
ΔE 2.1 · LRV 11
2134-30
#575553
Iron Mountain
ΔE 3.32 · LRV
HC-72
#60514A
Branchport Brown
ΔE 3.72 · LRV
2121-10
#585858
Gray
ΔE 4.55 · LRV 12

Valspar

2,858 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.2
All gray at Valspar →
4003-2C
#57524E
Semi-Sweet
ΔE 2.2 · LRV 8.6
1001-9A
#62534D
Hunting Boots
ΔE 3.5 · LRV 9.4
5006-2C
#585953
Sable Evening
ΔE 6.31 · LRV 9.9
6001-2C
#585445
Olive Smudge
ΔE 7.77 · LRV 8.8
V116-3
#4F5556
To the Tarmac
ΔE 7.9 · LRV 8.8

Sherwin-Williams

1,526 colors in deck · best ΔE 3.84
All gray at Sherwin-Williams →
SW 7048
#54504A
Urbane Bronze
ΔE 3.84 · LRV 8
SW 7645
#57534C
Thunder Gray
ΔE 3.96 · LRV 9
SW 7674
#585858
Peppercorn
ΔE 4.55 · LRV 10
SW 2846
#575449
Roycroft Bronze Green
ΔE 6.3 · LRV 9
SW 7745
#5A5243
Muddled Basil
ΔE 6.75 · LRV 9

Clare

78 colors in deck · best ΔE 4.74
All gray at Clare →
PNT100-DP-55
#515052
Blackest
ΔE 4.74 · LRV 8
PNT100-DP-54
#484745
Blackish
ΔE 6.35 · LRV 6
PNT100-DP-77
#604B56
Night Groove
ΔE 10.1 · LRV 8
PNT100-DP-42
#545E66
Goodnight Moon
ΔE 10.63 · LRV 11
PNT100-DP-67
#7C4D4C
Vintage
ΔE 14.56 · LRV 10

Farrow & Ball

132 colors in deck · best ΔE 4.78
All gray at Farrow & Ball →
NO. 255
#4D4746
Tanner's Brown
ΔE 4.78 · LRV 7
NO. 36
#534644
Mahogany
ΔE 5.28 · LRV 7
NO. 93
#464C49
Studio Green
ΔE 9.25 · LRV 7
NO. 281
#4D5B6A
Stiffkey Blue
ΔE 12.75 · LRV 10
NO. 297
#6D4247
Preference Red
ΔE 14.54 · LRV 8

Magnolia Home

160 colors in deck · best ΔE 4.83
All gray at Magnolia Home →
JG-158
#585855
Conservatory
ΔE 4.83 · LRV 10
JG-141
#505353
Prairie Smoke
ΔE 6.37 · LRV 9
JG-126
#565950
Locally Grown
ΔE 8.36 · LRV 10
JG-96
#51575F
Coffee Nook
ΔE 8.77 · LRV 9
JG-151
#4F5853
1905 Green
ΔE 10.3 · LRV 9

Backdrop

30 colors in deck · best ΔE 9.66
All gray at Backdrop →
BD-IT
#5C4435
It's a Date
ΔE 9.66 · LRV 7
BD-BA
#7C5F47
Buenos Aires
ΔE 12.36 · LRV 14
BD-TS
#7C5F47
Two Step
ΔE 12.36 · LRV 14
BD-WK
#3F546B
We Three Kings
ΔE 15.65 · LRV 8
BD-NE
#3D4D3F
North End
ΔE 16.17 · LRV 7

Similar Dunn-Edwards colors

closest in the Dunn-Edwards deck

The nearest shades to Black Russian within Dunn-Edwards's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.

DE6378
Jet
LRV 9
DEC756
Weathered Brown
LRV 8
DE6063
Black Walnut
LRV 8
DE6364
Cavernous
LRV 8
DE6315
Black Pool
LRV 9
DE6398
Louisiana Mud
LRV 10

Coordinated palette

Generated by hue-rotating #5C5451 in HSL space. Pair Black Russian with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#5C5451 + #51595C
TRIADIC
#5C5451 · #515C54 · #54515C
ANALOGOUS
#5C5154 · #5C5451 · #5C5A51

Accessibility (WCAG contrast)

Sample text on white
7.39:1 AAA
Sample text on black
2.84:1 fail

WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.

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