Color spec
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams |
| Name | Dark Night |
| SKU | SW 6237 |
| Hex | #2A3540 |
| RGB | 42, 53, 64 |
| HSL | 210°, 21%, 21% |
| LRV | 5 |
| Undertone | cool blue tone |
| Family | Teal |
What Color Is Dark Night, Really?
Dark Night (SW 6237) is a very dark blue with a slate cast. Its hex value #2A3540 leans clearly toward blue, and the hue reading of 210 degrees confirms it, but the saturation of about 21 percent keeps it from being a bright or nautical navy. An LRV of 5 puts it right at the bottom of the scale, in the band where a color stops behaving like a color and starts behaving like a dark. On most walls, in most rooms, it will read as near black with a blue soul.
People choose it when black feels too flat. A near-black blue gives the same weight and contrast but keeps a small amount of life, which shows up on a sunlit wall or a glossy door and disappears everywhere else. That makes it popular for front doors, kitchen islands, built-ins, cabinetry, and moody accent walls.
The practical catch is that an LRV of 5 absorbs almost all the light that hits it. Rooms lose depth at the corners, brush marks and roller texture show more than on a mid-tone, and sheen becomes very visible. If you want the blue to actually read as blue rather than as black, you need real daylight or warm lamps aimed at the surface.
The undertone here is cool blue, and unlike many near-blacks it is a genuine hue rather than a trace. Saturation sits near 21 percent, which is high for something this dark, and the hue at 210 degrees is a true slate blue rather than a teal or a violet. The hex #2A3540 has more blue than red by a clear margin.
When the undertone shows depends almost entirely on light hitting the surface. In shadow it is simply black. In direct sun, or under a lamp, the blue lifts and the color reads as deep denim or slate. Sheen amplifies this, so a satin or semi-gloss door will show far more blue than a flat wall.
Next to a true black it looks obviously blue. Next to a mid navy it looks almost black. Sample it on the actual surface and in the actual finish you plan to use, because the finish changes the answer as much as the color does.
Best Rooms and Uses for Dark Night
Dark Night is at its best where you want an object to feel solid rather than where you want a room to feel bright. Front doors are the classic use, since the blue reads clearly in outdoor daylight and holds up against white trim and brick. Shutters and window sashes work the same way.
Inside, kitchen islands, lower cabinet runs, built-in bookcases, and fireplace surrounds all suit it. At an LRV of 5 those elements read as grounded and finished without the harshness of a true black.
Full-room use is a deliberate choice. A study, a dining room, a powder room, or a bedroom painted out in Dark Night feels enveloping and calm, but it will feel small and dim during the day, and it needs good artificial light at night. Skip it in rooms you rely on for daylight, and use a durable finish on anything that gets touched, since dark colors show marks.
How Lighting Changes Dark Night
At an LRV of 5 Dark Night reflects almost nothing, so light does not brighten it as much as it reveals it. North-facing rooms give cool, weak daylight that keeps the color reading as a flat near black, with the blue only visible on the wall closest to the window.
South-facing rooms are where it comes alive. Strong sun lifts the 210 degree hue and the surface reads as a deep slate blue for much of the day. East rooms show the blue in the morning and lose it by afternoon; west rooms do the reverse and warm slightly at the end of the day.
Bulbs change the character too. Warm 2700K lamps soften the coolness and can push it toward charcoal, while 3500K to 4000K bulbs keep the blue crisp and cold. Because a color this dark shows every hot spot and shadow, expect uneven pools of light on large walls and plan your fixtures accordingly.
Most complaints about Dark Night 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.
TEST IT IN YOUR LIGHT →Dark Night vs Similar Colors
Within the Sherwin-Williams deck the nearest relative is Anchors Aweigh (SW 9179), hex #2B3441 at LRV 3. It is almost the same color and slightly darker. In the Navy (SW 9178), #283849 at LRV 4, is more clearly blue and less gray, which is the one to pick if you want the navy to be obvious. Inkwell (SW 6992), #31363A at LRV 4, and Black of Night (SW 6993), #323639 at LRV 4, drop most of the blue and read as true near-blacks. After the Storm (SW 9685), #2A3037 at LRV 3, is darker and cooler still.
Across brands the closest options are Behr Sorcerer (760F-7) at LRV 4 and Valspar Pitch Cobalt (5010-2) at LRV 3.8, both with a deltaE of 2.39, which makes them very close but worth sampling first. Portola Paints Ghost Tree at 4.55 and Rodda Midnight (CA210) at 4.8 are close but visibly different side by side.
Colors That Go With Dark Night
Contrast does the heavy lifting. A bright white on trim, ceiling, and surrounding walls gives the crispest result and is the standard treatment for a Dark Night front door or island. A softer warm white reduces the hard edge and makes the blue read a little warmer and less severe.
The Sherwin-Williams colors closest to it are alternatives, not companions. Anchors Aweigh (SW 9179) at LRV 3, In the Navy (SW 9178) at LRV 4, and After the Storm (SW 9685) at LRV 3 all sit within two points, so putting any two of them together simply looks like one color applied unevenly.
Materials matter more than a second paint color here. Warm woods such as oak and walnut, unlacquered or aged brass, and natural stone all lift the blue and stop it from feeling heavy. Polished chrome and black hardware keep it sharper and more modern. Bright, warm accents like ochre or terracotta give it a lift in textiles.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint Sherwin-Williams SW 6237 directly — but if you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches:
Similar Sherwin-Williams colors
closest in the Sherwin-Williams deckThe nearest shades to Dark Night within Sherwin-Williams'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 #2A3540 in HSL space. Pair Dark Night 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.
The Questions Everyone Asks
Is Dark Night black or blue?
It is a blue that behaves like a black. The hue reads 210 degrees with about 21 percent saturation, so there is real slate blue in it, but an LRV of 5 means it looks near black in shadow and in low light. The blue shows in direct sun, under lamps, and on glossier finishes such as a front door.
What LRV is Dark Night?
Dark Night has an LRV of 5. On the 0 to 100 scale, where 0 is black and 100 is pure white, that is about as dark as paint colors go. It reflects almost no light, so it adds strong weight and contrast to a room and will always look deeper in person than it does on a small chip.
Does Dark Night work in a dark room?
It will make a dark room darker, and it will not show its blue there. If you like an enclosed, cocooning effect that can be exactly right for a study, a powder room, or a bedroom. If you want the color to read as blue rather than black, you need a room with good daylight or well-placed warm lamps.
What white trim goes with Dark Night?
A bright, clean white gives the strongest contrast and is the usual choice for a Dark Night door, island, or accent wall. A softer warm white takes the hard edge off and makes the blue feel a little warmer, which suits traditional interiors. Either way, keep the trim in its own color rather than painting it to match.
Is Dark Night good for exteriors and front doors?
Yes. Outdoor daylight is exactly the condition where its 210 degree blue undertone becomes visible, so a front door or shutters in Dark Night read as deep slate blue rather than black. At an LRV of 5 it holds strong contrast against white trim, light siding, and brick. Use an exterior-grade product and a finish with some sheen.
How is Dark Night different from Inkwell?
Inkwell (SW 6992) has the hex #31363A and an LRV of 4, so it is a near-black with very little color in it. Dark Night sits at #2A3540 with an LRV of 5 and carries a clear blue lean at around 21 percent saturation. Choose Inkwell when you want a soft black; choose Dark Night when you want the surface to show blue in good light.
Will It Work in YOUR Room?
No page can promise how Dark Night behaves in your light. Upload a photo and see it on your own walls in seconds — before you spend a cent on samples.
TRY DARK NIGHT ON YOUR ROOM →
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