Dunn-Edwards Soot#555E5F · LRV 11
Soot reads as a blue-green / cool — dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs. The notes below cover the spec, what Dunn-Edwards DE6321 actually looks like under different light, and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Color spec
| Brand | Dunn-Edwards |
| Name | Soot |
| SKU | DE6321 |
| Hex | #555E5F |
| RGB | 85, 94, 95 |
| HSL | 186°, 6%, 35% |
| LRV | 11 |
| Undertone | blue-green / cool |
| Family | Gray |
About Dunn-Edwards Soot
With an LRV of 11, Soot 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.
Soot 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.
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.
Closest matches at every US brand
9 brands · top 5 each5 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.
PPG / Glidden
Benjamin Moore
Sherwin-Williams
Valspar
Farrow & Ball
Clare
Behr
Magnolia Home
Similar Dunn-Edwards colors
closest in the Dunn-Edwards deckThe nearest shades to Soot within Dunn-Edwards'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 #555E5F in HSL space. Pair Soot 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.