Color spec
| Brand | Farrow & Ball |
| Name | Railings |
| SKU | No. 31 |
| Hex | #3A3D3F |
| RGB | 58, 61, 63 |
| HSL | 204°, 4%, 24% |
| LRV | 6 |
| Undertone | true neutral (no measurable hue) |
| Family | Black |
About Farrow & Ball Railings
At LRV 6, Railings 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.
Railings 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
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 Railings 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 #3A3D3F in HSL space. Pair Railings 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 Railings Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Railings 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. 31 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Railings
Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Railings. The nearest is Armory (SW 9600) at ΔE 4.4 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 6). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Armory swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Railings
Behr's nearest match is Madison Avenue (QE-64), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.54). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 6) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Railings without repainting risk. See the full Madison Avenue swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Railings
The closest Benjamin Moore equivalent of Railings is Black Iron (2120-20). At ΔE 0.65 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 Benjamin Moore is your counter, order Black Iron and you'll get the same color. See the full Black Iron swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Railings
The closest Valspar equivalent of Railings is Black Heron (V120-3). At ΔE 0.8 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same true neutral undertone and runs slightly darker (LRV 4.5 vs 6). If Valspar is your counter, order Black Heron and you'll get the same color. See the full Black Heron swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Railings
PPG / Glidden's nearest match is Starless Sky (PPG0995-7), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.54). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 6) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Railings without repainting risk. See the full Starless Sky swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Railings
Glidden's nearest match is Starless Sky (PPG0995-7), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.54). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 6) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Railings without repainting risk. See the full Starless Sky swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Railings
Dunn-Edwards's nearest match is Carbonized Wood (DESS50), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.96). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 6) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Railings without repainting risk. See the full Carbonized Wood swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Railings
Diamond Vogel's nearest match is Silent Sea (0515), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.79). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 6) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Railings without repainting risk. See the full Silent Sea swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Railings
Hirshfield's's nearest match is Black Licorice (0529), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.64). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 6) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Railings without repainting risk. See the full Black Licorice swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Railings
Rodda has no exact twin of Railings. The nearest is Midnight (CA210) at ΔE 4.98 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 6). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Midnight swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Railings
At C2 Paint, the closest color to Railings is Aperture (C2-981) — very close at ΔE 2.02, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly darker (LRV 4 vs 6) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Aperture swatch →
Clare Equivalent of Railings
Clare has no exact twin of Railings. The nearest is Blackish (PNT100-DP-54) at ΔE 4.69 — 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 Blackish swatch →
Backdrop Equivalent of Railings
Backdrop has no exact twin of Railings. The nearest is After Hours (BD-AH) at ΔE 4.58 — 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 →
Rust-Oleum Equivalent of Railings
Rust-Oleum's nearest match is Charcoal (285144), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.35). It runs slightly darker (LRV 4 vs 6) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Railings without repainting risk. See the full Charcoal swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Railings
Kompozit's nearest match is Black Licorice (0529), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.64). It runs slightly darker (LRV 4 vs 6) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Railings without repainting risk. See the full Black Licorice swatch →