Blue Coal
4011-3 · #2B3140 · LRV 3.1 — cool blue tone, very dark — reads black in most rooms.
- 1Blue Coal3.1
- 2Waterloo13
- 3Charcoal Blue19
What Color Is Blue Coal, Really?
Blue Coal reads as a cool blue tone — very dark — reads black in most rooms. The notes below cover how Valspar 4011-3 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Blue Coal
Blue Coal 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.
How Lighting Changes Blue Coal
At LRV 3.1, Blue Coal 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.
Most complaints about Blue Coal 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 Valspar 4011-3 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 | Anchors AweighSW 9179 · Sherwin-Williams | 2.5 | 3 | Color page → |
| Behr | Sorcerer760F-7 · Behr | 2.9 | 4 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Winding Waterway2063-10 · Benjamin Moore | 2.6 | 5 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Wishing On A Star338-7DB · Dutch Boy | 4.6 | 4 | Color page → |
| Dunn-Edwards | Old MillDEA185 · Dunn-Edwards | 3.7 | 5 | Color page → |
| Magnolia Home | BlackboardJG-05 · Magnolia Home | 4.9 | 3 | Color page → |
Similar Valspar Colors
The nearest shades to Blue Coal within Valspar'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 #2B3140 in HSL space. Pair Blue Coal with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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