Color guide · Farrow & Ball · Blue

Blue Maize

No. CB11 · #3F4666 · LRV 6 · cool blue tone

No. CB11 · #3F4666 · LRV 6 — cool blue tone, very dark — reads black in most rooms.

Blue MaizeFarrow & Ball · No. CB11
The color, edge to edge.Use your own photo →
Blue Maize
FARROW & BALL · No. CB11 · #3F4666
Brand · codeFarrow & BallNo. CB11 · all Farrow & Ball blues
LRV6Very dark — reads black in most rooms.
Undertonecool blue tone
FamilyBlue
Hex · RGB · HSL#3F4666 · 63, 70, 102 · 229°, 24%, 32%Display values from the brand. Match it at another brand
Sheen we recommendEggshell on walls · satin on trim and cabinetsWhich sheen where, explained
Where it sits, light to dark
  1. 1Blue Maize6
  2. 2Waterloo13
  3. 3Charcoal Blue19
Undertone and depth

What Color Is Blue Maize, Really?

Blue Maize reads as a cool blue tone — very dark — reads black in most rooms. The notes below cover how Farrow & Ball No. CB11 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.

Room by room

Best Rooms and Uses for Blue Maize

Blue Maize 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.

Light by light

How Lighting Changes Blue Maize

At LRV 6, Blue Maize 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.

Test it in your light, not a showroom's

Most complaints about Blue Maize 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.

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Visualize in your room
Same color, different store

Need It From Another Brand?

Any paint counter can custom-tint Farrow & Ball No. CB11 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.

Same deck, next chip over

Similar Farrow & Ball Colors

The nearest shades to Blue Maize within Farrow & Ball's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.

Contrast, for text and signage
Black text on Blue Maize · 2.3 : 1 · fails for textWhite text on Blue Maize · 9.2 : 1 · passes AA and AAA

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 #3F4666 in HSL space. Pair Blue Maize with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#3F4666 + #665F3F
TRIADIC
#3F4666 · #663F46 · #46663F
ANALOGOUS
#3F5966 · #3F4666 · #4C3F66

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Jessica Williams

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