Color spec
| Brand | Farrow & Ball |
| Name | Grate Black |
| SKU | No. 9920 |
| Hex | #454341 |
| RGB | 69, 67, 65 |
| HSL | 30°, 3%, 26% |
| LRV | 6 |
| Undertone | neutral with no strong undertone |
| Family | Black |
About Farrow & Ball Grate Black
At LRV 6, Grate Black 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.
Grate Black 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
18 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
Kompozit
Similar Farrow & Ball colors
closest in the Farrow & Ball deckThe nearest shades to Grate 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 #454341 in HSL space. Pair Grate 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 Grate Black Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Grate 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. 9920 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Grate Black
Sherwin-Williams's nearest match is Iron Ore (SW 7069), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.3). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 6) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Grate Black without repainting risk. See the full Iron Ore swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Grate Black
The closest Behr equivalent of Grate Black is Evening Canyon (ECC-27-3). At ΔE 0 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same true neutral undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 6). If Behr is your counter, order Evening Canyon and you'll get the same color. See the full Evening Canyon swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Grate Black
Benjamin Moore has no exact twin of Grate Black. The nearest is Deep Caviar (2130-20) at ΔE 3.55 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 6). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Deep Caviar swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Grate Black
Valspar's nearest match is Arrowhead (8006-11F), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.65). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 6) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Grate Black without repainting risk. See the full Arrowhead swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Grate Black
PPG / Glidden's nearest match is Onyx (PPG1011-7), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.47). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 6) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Grate Black without repainting risk. See the full Onyx swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Grate Black
Glidden's nearest match is Deep Onyx (00NN 07/000), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.36). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 6) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Grate Black without repainting risk. See the full Deep Onyx swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Grate Black
At Dutch Boy, the closest color to Grate Black is Charcoal Brick (405-7DB) — very close at ΔE 2.93, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 6) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Charcoal Brick swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Grate Black
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams's nearest match is Carbonized (HGSW 1481), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.3). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 6) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Grate Black without repainting risk. See the full Carbonized swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Grate Black
Dunn-Edwards's nearest match is Chocolate Fix (DEBN80), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.63). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 6) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Grate Black without repainting risk. See the full Chocolate Fix swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Grate Black
Diamond Vogel has no exact twin of Grate Black. The nearest is Macon Spruce (H098) at ΔE 3.6 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 6). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Macon Spruce swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Grate Black
Hirshfield's's nearest match is Subway (0536), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.39). It runs slightly lighter (LRV 8 vs 6) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Grate Black without repainting risk. See the full Subway swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Grate Black
At Rodda, the closest color to Grate Black is Dark Chocolate (CA222) — very close at ΔE 2.71, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 6) and carries a warm red undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Dark Chocolate swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Grate Black
C2 Paint's nearest match is French Roast (C2-837), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.97). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 6) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Grate Black without repainting risk. See the full French Roast swatch →
Clare Equivalent of Grate Black
Clare's nearest match is Blackish (PNT100-DP-54), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.42). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 6) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Grate Black without repainting risk. See the full Blackish swatch →
Portola Paints Equivalent of Grate Black
At Portola Paints, the closest color to Grate Black is Black Sky (BLACK SKY) — very close at ΔE 2.55, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 6) 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 Grate Black
Backdrop has no exact twin of Grate Black. The nearest is After Hours (BD-AH) at ΔE 4.8 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 6). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full After Hours swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Grate Black
Kompozit's nearest match is Subway (0536), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.39). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 6) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Grate Black without repainting risk. See the full Subway swatch →