Color spec
| Brand | Farrow & Ball |
| Name | Beetle Black |
| SKU | No. G16 |
| Hex | #585C5D |
| RGB | 88, 92, 93 |
| HSL | 192°, 3%, 35% |
| LRV | 11 |
| Undertone | neutral with no strong undertone |
| Family | Gray |
About Farrow & Ball Beetle Black
With an LRV of 11, Beetle Black 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.
Beetle Black 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.
Closest matches by brand
16 brands within ΔE 5The closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Only colors within ΔE 5 (close enough to substitute on a wall) are shown — brands with no real match are left off. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all gray from that brand.
Sherwin-Williams
Behr
Benjamin Moore
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Magnolia Home
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Rodda
C2 Paint
Clare
Kompozit
Similar Farrow & Ball colors
closest in the Farrow & Ball deckThe nearest shades to Beetle Black within Farrow & Ball'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 #585C5D in HSL space. Pair Beetle Black 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.
Farrow & Ball Beetle Black Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Beetle Black from a different paint counter? Below is the single closest color in each major US deck and how close it really is. Remember that any paint store can also custom-tint Farrow & Ball No. G16 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Beetle Black
At Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Beetle Black is Forged Steel (SW 9565) — very close at ΔE 2.57, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 11) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Forged Steel swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Beetle Black
At Behr, the closest color to Beetle Black is Pencil Point (PPU18-02) — very close at ΔE 2.5, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 11 vs 11) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Pencil Point swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Beetle Black
Benjamin Moore's nearest match is Flint (AF-560), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.05). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 12 vs 11) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Beetle Black without repainting risk. See the full Flint swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Beetle Black
At Valspar, the closest color to Beetle Black is Carriage Wheel (M330) — very close at ΔE 2.27, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 11.5 vs 11) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Carriage Wheel swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Beetle Black
PPG / Glidden's nearest match is Zombie (PPG1010-7), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.14). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 11) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Beetle Black without repainting risk. See the full Zombie swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Beetle Black
At Glidden, the closest color to Beetle Black is Zombie (PPG1010-7) — very close at ΔE 2.04, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 11) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Zombie swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Beetle Black
At Dutch Boy, the closest color to Beetle Black is Ship's Anchor (437-6DB) — very close at ΔE 2.49, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 11) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Ship's Anchor swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Beetle Black
At HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Beetle Black is Peppercorn (HGSW 1491) — very close at ΔE 2.49, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 11) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Peppercorn swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Beetle Black
Dunn-Edwards's nearest match is Shou Sugi Ban (DEGR48), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.99). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 11) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Beetle Black without repainting risk. See the full Shou Sugi Ban swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Beetle Black
At Magnolia Home, the closest color to Beetle Black is Conservatory (JG-158) — very close at ΔE 3.19, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 11) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Conservatory swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Beetle Black
Diamond Vogel has no exact twin of Beetle Black. The nearest is Deep Space (0487) at ΔE 4.53 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 11). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Deep Space swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Beetle Black
Hirshfield's's nearest match is Zen Retreat (0535), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.52). It runs slightly lighter (LRV 13 vs 11) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Beetle Black without repainting risk. See the full Zen Retreat swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Beetle Black
Rodda's nearest match is Shale (CA192), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.4). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 11 vs 11) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Beetle Black without repainting risk. See the full Shale swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Beetle Black
At C2 Paint, the closest color to Beetle Black is Saville Row (C2-790) — very close at ΔE 2.47, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 11 vs 11) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Saville Row swatch →
Clare Equivalent of Beetle Black
Clare has no exact twin of Beetle Black. The nearest is Goodnight Moon (PNT100-DP-42) at ΔE 4.15 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 11 vs 11). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Goodnight Moon swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Beetle Black
Kompozit's nearest match is Zen Retreat (0535), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.52). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 11 vs 11) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Beetle Black without repainting risk. See the full Zen Retreat swatch →