Color spec
| Brand | Farrow & Ball |
| Name | Stiffkey Blue |
| SKU | No. 281 |
| Hex | #384757 |
| RGB | 56, 71, 87 |
| HSL | 211°, 22%, 28% |
| LRV | 7 |
| Undertone | blue / cool |
| Family | Blue |
About Farrow & Ball Stiffkey Blue
At LRV 7, Stiffkey 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.
Stiffkey 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
14 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 blue 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
Kompozit
Similar Farrow & Ball colors
closest in the Farrow & Ball deckThe nearest shades to Stiffkey 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.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #384757 in HSL space. Pair Stiffkey Blue 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 Stiffkey Blue Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Stiffkey 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. 281 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Stiffkey Blue
At Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Stiffkey Blue is Charcoal Blue (SW 2739) — very close at ΔE 3.23, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 7) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Charcoal Blue swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Stiffkey Blue
At Behr, the closest color to Stiffkey Blue is Starless Night (PPU14-20) — very close at ΔE 2, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 7) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Starless Night swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Stiffkey Blue
At Benjamin Moore, the closest color to Stiffkey Blue is Gentleman's Gray (2062-20) — very close at ΔE 2.7, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Gentleman's Gray swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Stiffkey Blue
At Valspar, the closest color to Stiffkey Blue is Blue Fedora (V111-6) — very close at ΔE 2.95, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6.2 vs 7) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Blue Fedora swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Stiffkey Blue
PPG / Glidden has no exact twin of Stiffkey Blue. The nearest is Sailor's Coat (PPG1153-7) at ΔE 4.52 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 7). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Sailor's Coat swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Stiffkey Blue
Glidden has no exact twin of Stiffkey Blue. The nearest is Ship'S Harbor (PPG1161-5) at ΔE 4.52 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 7). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Ship'S Harbor swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Stiffkey Blue
Dutch Boy has no exact twin of Stiffkey Blue. The nearest is Navigation (432-7DB) at ΔE 3.83 — 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 Navigation swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Stiffkey Blue
At Dunn-Edwards, the closest color to Stiffkey Blue is Parisian Night (DEA184) — very close at ΔE 2.37, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 7) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Parisian Night swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Stiffkey Blue
Diamond Vogel has no exact twin of Stiffkey Blue. The nearest is Star-Studded (0620) at ΔE 4.48 — 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 Star-Studded swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Stiffkey Blue
Hirshfield's has no exact twin of Stiffkey Blue. The nearest is Star-Studded (0620) at ΔE 4.17 — 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 Star-Studded swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Stiffkey Blue
At Rodda, the closest color to Stiffkey Blue is Deep Plunge (R089) — very close at ΔE 3.41, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Deep Plunge swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Stiffkey Blue
At C2 Paint, the closest color to Stiffkey Blue is Espionage (C2-742) — very close at ΔE 2.82, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 7) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Espionage swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Stiffkey Blue
Kompozit has no exact twin of Stiffkey Blue. The nearest is Star-Studded (0620) at ΔE 4.17 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly darker (LRV 5 vs 7). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Star-Studded swatch →