Licorice
PPG1009-7 · #4E4F48 · LRV 8 — neutral with no strong undertone, very dark — reads black in most rooms.
- 1Licorice8
- 2Kendall Charcoal15
- 3Retreat21
What Color Is Licorice, Really?
Licorice reads as a neutral with no strong undertone — very dark — reads black in most rooms. The notes below cover how PPG / Glidden PPG1009-7 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Licorice
Licorice 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.
How Lighting Changes Licorice
At LRV 8, Licorice 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.
Most complaints about Licorice are a light mismatch. Upload a photo of your actual room and see it on your walls — then ask for the same wall in north light or evening lamps before you buy a single sample.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint PPG / Glidden PPG1009-7 directly. If you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches, measured as ΔE2000. Under 2 is a difference you will not see on the wall.
| Brand | Closest color | ΔE | LRV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherwin-Williams | Shade-GrownSW 6188 · Sherwin-Williams | 2.1 | 8 | Color page → |
| Behr | Berry BrownPPU24-02 · Behr | 5.0 | 8 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Deep River1582 · Benjamin Moore | 1.9 | 8 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Sable Calm5002-2C · Valspar | 2.4 | 7.3 | Color page → |
| Glidden | LicoricePPG1009-7 · Glidden | 0.0 | 8 | Color page → |
| HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams | Shade-GrownHGSW 3261 · HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams | 2.1 | 8 | Color page → |
Similar PPG / Glidden Colors
The nearest shades to Licorice within PPG / Glidden's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
WCAG 2.1: AA is 4.5 : 1 for normal text, 3 : 1 for large text, AAA is 7 : 1.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #4E4F48 in HSL space. Pair Licorice with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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