Old Mill
DEA185 · #343B4E · LRV 5 — cool blue tone, very dark — reads black in most rooms.
- 1Old Mill5
- 2Waterloo13
- 3Charcoal Blue19
What Color Is Old Mill, Really?
Old Mill reads as a cool blue tone — very dark — reads black in most rooms. The notes below cover how Dunn-Edwards DEA185 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Old Mill
Old Mill earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Blues calm a room, which makes them popular in bedrooms, bathrooms and home offices.
How Lighting Changes Old Mill
At LRV 5, Old Mill 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 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. In rooms with little natural light it can feel heavy, so reserve it for spaces you want to feel enveloping.
Most complaints about Old Mill 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 Dunn-Edwards DEA185 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 | NavalSW 6244 · Sherwin-Williams | 4.8 | 4 | Color page → |
| Behr | Limo-sceneN560-7 · Behr | 1.3 | 4 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Deep Royal2061-10 · Benjamin Moore | 1.9 | 5 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Victory BluePPG1165-7 · PPG / Glidden | 4.0 | 5 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Victory BluePPG1165-7 · Glidden | 3.6 | 5 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Plume Purple341-7DB · Dutch Boy | 0.9 | 5 | Color page → |
Similar Dunn-Edwards Colors
The nearest shades to Old Mill within Dunn-Edwards'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 #343B4E in HSL space. Pair Old Mill with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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