Color spec
| Brand | Farrow & Ball |
| Name | Liquorice |
| SKU | No. CB10 |
| Hex | #4A4949 |
| RGB | 74, 73, 73 |
| HSL | 0°, 1%, 29% |
| LRV | 7 |
| Undertone | neutral with no strong undertone |
| Family | Gray |
About Farrow & Ball Liquorice
At LRV 7, Liquorice 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.
Liquorice earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Grays like this read as a modern neutral and sit comfortably alongside both warm woods and cool metals.
Closest matches by brand
17 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
Portola Paints
Kompozit
Similar Farrow & Ball colors
closest in the Farrow & Ball deckThe nearest shades to Liquorice 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 #4A4949 in HSL space. Pair Liquorice 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 Liquorice Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Liquorice 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. CB10 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Liquorice
Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Liquorice. The nearest is Rock Bottom (SW 7062) at ΔE 4.02 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Rock Bottom swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Liquorice
Behr's nearest match is Warm Onyx (HDC-CL-14A), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.95). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Liquorice without repainting risk. See the full Warm Onyx swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Liquorice
Benjamin Moore's nearest match is Wrought Iron (2124-10), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.27). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 7) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Liquorice without repainting risk. See the full Wrought Iron swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Liquorice
At Valspar, the closest color to Liquorice is Soft Panther (8006-12F) — very close at ΔE 2.89, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Soft Panther swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Liquorice
Glidden has no exact twin of Liquorice. The nearest is Black Elegance (PPG1004-7) at ΔE 4.41 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Black Elegance swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Liquorice
Dutch Boy has no exact twin of Liquorice. The nearest is Orchid Black (443-7DB) at ΔE 4.2 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Orchid Black swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Liquorice
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Liquorice. The nearest is Rock Bottom (HGSW 1501) at ΔE 4.02 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Rock Bottom swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Liquorice
At Dunn-Edwards, the closest color to Liquorice is Black Bay (DEA188) — very close at ΔE 2.99, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Black Bay swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Liquorice
Magnolia Home has no exact twin of Liquorice. The nearest is Aspen Stone (JG-145) at ΔE 3.75 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Aspen Stone swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Liquorice
At Diamond Vogel, the closest color to Liquorice is November Storms (0543) — very close at ΔE 2.29, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full November Storms swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Liquorice
At Hirshfield's, the closest color to Liquorice is Midnight Magic (0508) — very close at ΔE 2.15, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 9 vs 7) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Midnight Magic swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Liquorice
At Rodda, the closest color to Liquorice is Chocolate Bark (R030) — very close at ΔE 2.01, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Chocolate Bark swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Liquorice
C2 Paint's nearest match is Andromeda (C2-901), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.85). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Liquorice without repainting risk. See the full Andromeda swatch →
Clare Equivalent of Liquorice
Clare's nearest match is Blackish (PNT100-DP-54), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.52). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 7) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Liquorice without repainting risk. See the full Blackish swatch →
Portola Paints Equivalent of Liquorice
At Portola Paints, the closest color to Liquorice is Black Sky (BLACK SKY) — very close at ΔE 2.45, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 7) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Black Sky swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Liquorice
At Kompozit, the closest color to Liquorice is Midnight Magic (0508) — very close at ΔE 2.15, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 7) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Midnight Magic swatch →