CP

Farrow & Ball Drawing Room BlueNo. 253 · #465172 · LRV 8

Drawing Room Blue reads as a cool blue tone — very dark — reads black in most rooms. The notes below cover the color's details, what Farrow & Ball No. 253 actually looks like under different light, and the closest matches at competing US brands.

FARROW & BALL DRAWING ROOM BLUE
RGB 70, 81, 114LRV 8

Color spec

BrandFarrow & Ball
NameDrawing Room Blue
SKUNo. 253
Hex#465172
RGB70, 81, 114
HSL225°, 24%, 36%
LRV8
Undertonecool blue tone
FamilyBlue
See Farrow & Ball Drawing Room Blue on your own walls — upload a room photo.SEE IT IN YOUR ROOM →

About Farrow & Ball Drawing Room Blue

At LRV 8, Drawing Room 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. 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.

Drawing Room 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. Blues calm a room, which makes them popular in bedrooms, bathrooms and home offices.

Closest matches by brand

13 brands within ΔE 5

The 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 blue from that brand.

Sherwin-Williams

1,947 colors in deck · best ΔE 3.06
All blue at Sherwin-Williams →
SW 6538 · #3B496D · ΔE 3.06 · LRV 7

Behr

5,644 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.24
All blue at Behr →
UL240-22 · #435171 · ΔE 1.24 · LRV 8
S570-7 · #474F72 · ΔE 1.43 · LRV 8
PPU15-18 · #48516A · ΔE 2.71 · LRV 8
HDC-CL-26 · #425573 · ΔE 3.57 · LRV 9

Benjamin Moore

4,068 colors in deck · best ΔE 4.62
All blue at Benjamin Moore →
CSP-565 · #445772 · ΔE 4.62 · LRV 9

Valspar

2,858 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.7
All blue at Valspar →
4002-8C · #4C557D · ΔE 2.7 · LRV 9.5
8003-46F · #475671 · ΔE 3.36 · LRV 9
8003-48F · #4F546D · ΔE 3.45 · LRV 9

PPG / Glidden

2,132 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.87
All blue at PPG / Glidden →
PPG1169-7 · #464B6B · ΔE 2.87 · LRV 7
PPG1168-7 · #3D496E · ΔE 2.94 · LRV 7
PPG1170-7 · #4E5180 · ΔE 4.39 · LRV 9

Glidden

3,101 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.06
All blue at Glidden →
50BB 08/171 · #404D6B · ΔE 2.06 · LRV 8
PPG1169-7 · #464B6A · ΔE 2.9 · LRV 7
PPG1170-7 · #4D517F · ΔE 4.07 · LRV 9

Dutch Boy

1,340 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.89
All blue at Dutch Boy →
241-6DB · #4D5575 · ΔE 1.89 · LRV 9
239-7DB · #384C6B · ΔE 4.05 · LRV 7
HGSW 2391 · #3B496D · ΔE 3.06 · LRV 7
HGSW 6538 · #3B496D · ΔE 3.06 · LRV 7

Dunn-Edwards

2,298 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.52
All blue at Dunn-Edwards →
DE5902 · #4E5878 · ΔE 2.52 · LRV 10
DE5916 · #4D516C · ΔE 3.1 · LRV 8
DEFD51 · #49527F · ΔE 3.28 · LRV 10

Magnolia Home

160 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.98
All blue at Magnolia Home →
JG-92 · #42526E · ΔE 2.98 · LRV 8

Diamond Vogel

1,386 colors in deck · best ΔE 3.22
All blue at Diamond Vogel →
0592 · #49536B · ΔE 3.22 · LRV 9
H055 · #484D61 · ΔE 4.94 · LRV 8

Hirshfield's

1,469 colors in deck · best ΔE 4.99
All blue at Hirshfield's →
H0055 · #444C60 · ΔE 4.99 · LRV 7

C2 Paint

580 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.03
All blue at C2 Paint →
C2-775 · #43516E · ΔE 2.03 · LRV 8
C2-774 · #3E4B67 · ΔE 3.03 · LRV 7

Similar Farrow & Ball colors

closest in the Farrow & Ball deck

The nearest shades to Drawing Room 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.

No. W40 · LRV 9
No. 9919 · LRV 7
No. 9820 · LRV 10
No. 281 · LRV 10
No. CB11 · LRV 6
No. 30 · LRV 7

Coordinated palette

Generated by hue-rotating #465172 in HSL space. Pair Drawing Room Blue with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#465172 + #726746
TRIADIC
#465172 · #724651 · #517246
ANALOGOUS
#466772 · #465172 · #514672

Accessibility (WCAG contrast)

Sample text on white
7.83:1AAA
Sample text on black
2.68:1fail

WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.

Farrow & Ball Drawing Room Blue Equivalents at Other Brands

Matching Drawing Room 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. 253 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.

Behr Equivalent of Drawing Room Blue

Behr's nearest match is Signature Blue (UL240-22), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.24). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Drawing Room Blue without repainting risk. See the full Signature Blue swatch →

Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Drawing Room Blue

Benjamin Moore has no exact twin of Drawing Room Blue. The nearest is Indi Go-Go (CSP-565) at ΔE 4.62 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 8). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Indi Go-Go swatch →

Valspar Equivalent of Drawing Room Blue

At Valspar, the closest color to Drawing Room Blue is Sapphire Earbobs (8003-46F) — very close at ΔE 3.36, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 8) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Sapphire Earbobs swatch →

PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Drawing Room Blue

At PPG / Glidden, the closest color to Drawing Room Blue is Royal Hyacinth (PPG1169-7) — very close at ΔE 2.87, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 8) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Royal Hyacinth swatch →

Glidden Equivalent of Drawing Room Blue

At Glidden, the closest color to Drawing Room Blue is Rich Navy (50BB 08/171) — very close at ΔE 2.06, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Rich Navy swatch →

Dutch Boy Equivalent of Drawing Room Blue

Dutch Boy's nearest match is Tranquility (241-6DB), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.89). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 8) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Drawing Room Blue without repainting risk. See the full Tranquility swatch →

Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Drawing Room Blue

At Dunn-Edwards, the closest color to Drawing Room Blue is Intergalactic (DE5916) — very close at ΔE 3.1, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Intergalactic swatch →

Magnolia Home Equivalent of Drawing Room Blue

At Magnolia Home, the closest color to Drawing Room Blue is Silos District (JG-92) — very close at ΔE 2.98, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Silos District swatch →

Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Drawing Room Blue

At Diamond Vogel, the closest color to Drawing Room Blue is Quiet Peace (0592) — very close at ΔE 3.22, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 8) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Quiet Peace swatch →

C2 Paint Equivalent of Drawing Room Blue

At C2 Paint, the closest color to Drawing Room Blue is Jazz (C2-775) — very close at ΔE 2.03, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Jazz swatch →

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