Color spec
| Brand | Farrow & Ball |
| Name | Black Blue |
| SKU | No. 95 |
| Hex | #3E4245 |
| RGB | 62, 66, 69 |
| HSL | 206°, 5%, 26% |
| LRV | 5 |
| Undertone | cool blue tone |
| Family | Black |
About Farrow & Ball Black Blue
At LRV 5, Black Blue 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. Because it carries almost no measurable hue, it stays a true neutral and pairs cleanly with nearly any trim or floor. In rooms with little natural light it can feel heavy, so reserve it for spaces you want to feel enveloping.
Black Blue earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Near-blacks like this are best as contrast — doors, trim, cabinets, window frames.
Closest matches by brand
19 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 black 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
Portola Paints
Backdrop
Rust-Oleum
Kompozit
Similar Farrow & Ball colors
closest in the Farrow & Ball deckThe nearest shades to Black Blue 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 #3E4245 in HSL space. Pair Black Blue 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 Black Blue Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Black Blue 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. 95 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Black Blue
Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Black Blue. The nearest is Iron Ore (SW 7069) at ΔE 3.58 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Iron Ore swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Black Blue
Behr has no exact twin of Black Blue. The nearest is Dark Cavern (790F-7) at ΔE 3.79 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Dark Cavern swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Black Blue
Benjamin Moore's nearest match is Notre Dame (CSP-570), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.93). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 5) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Black Blue without repainting risk. See the full Notre Dame swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Black Blue
Valspar's nearest match is Chimney Smoke (4010-1), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.31). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 5) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Black Blue without repainting risk. See the full Chimney Smoke swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Black Blue
At PPG / Glidden, the closest color to Black Blue is Black Magic (PPG1001-7) — very close at ΔE 2.66, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 5) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Black Magic swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Black Blue
Glidden has no exact twin of Black Blue. The nearest is Napoleon (PPG1013-7) at ΔE 4.08 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Napoleon swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Black Blue
Dutch Boy has no exact twin of Black Blue. The nearest is Cauldron (437-7DB) at ΔE 3.87 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Cauldron swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Black Blue
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Black Blue. The nearest is Carbonized (HGSW 1481) at ΔE 3.58 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Carbonized swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Black Blue
Dunn-Edwards's nearest match is Secret Garden (DESS30), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.68). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 5) and carries a cool blue-green undertone, so it substitutes for Black Blue without repainting risk. See the full Secret Garden swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Black Blue
Magnolia Home's nearest match is Arches (JG-97), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.81). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 5) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Black Blue without repainting risk. See the full Arches swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Black Blue
At Diamond Vogel, the closest color to Black Blue is Silent Sea (0515) — very close at ΔE 2.76, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 5) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Silent Sea swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Black Blue
At Hirshfield's, the closest color to Black Blue is Dark River (0494) — very close at ΔE 2.03, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 7 vs 5) and carries a cool blue-green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Dark River swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Black Blue
At Rodda, the closest color to Black Blue is Coal Black (R018) — very close at ΔE 2.63, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 5) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Coal Black swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Black Blue
C2 Paint has no exact twin of Black Blue. The nearest is Leapfrog (C2-933) at ΔE 3.86 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Leapfrog swatch →
Clare Equivalent of Black Blue
Clare has no exact twin of Black Blue. The nearest is Blackish (PNT100-DP-54) at ΔE 4.27 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Blackish swatch →
Portola Paints Equivalent of Black Blue
At Portola Paints, the closest color to Black Blue is Black Sky (BLACK SKY) — very close at ΔE 2.25, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 5) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Black Sky swatch →
Backdrop Equivalent of Black Blue
Backdrop has no exact twin of Black Blue. The nearest is After Hours (BD-AH) at ΔE 4.78 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full After Hours swatch →
Rust-Oleum Equivalent of Black Blue
At Rust-Oleum, the closest color to Black Blue is Charcoal (285144) — very close at ΔE 2.44, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 4 vs 5) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Charcoal swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Black Blue
At Kompozit, the closest color to Black Blue is Dark River (0494) — very close at ΔE 2.03, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 5) and carries a cool blue-green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Dark River swatch →