Color spec
| Brand | Valspar |
| Name | Dark Chocolate |
| SKU | M257 |
| Hex | #493D34 |
| RGB | 73, 61, 52 |
| HSL | 26°, 17%, 25% |
| LRV | 5 |
| Undertone | warm red-orange tone |
| Family | Neutral |
About Valspar Dark Chocolate
At LRV 5, Dark Chocolate 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 orange 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.
Dark Chocolate earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Greige-leaning neutrals like this are the safe whole-home choice when you want warmth without committing to a color.
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 neutral from that brand.
Sherwin-Williams
Behr
Benjamin Moore
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Magnolia Home
Farrow & Ball
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
C2 Paint
Kompozit
Similar Valspar colors
closest in the Valspar deckThe nearest shades to Dark Chocolate within Valspar'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 #493D34 in HSL space. Pair Dark Chocolate 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.
Valspar Dark Chocolate Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Dark Chocolate 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 Valspar M257 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Dark Chocolate
Sherwin-Williams's nearest match is Dark Clove (SW 9183), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.87). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 5) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Dark Chocolate without repainting risk. See the full Dark Clove swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Dark Chocolate
Behr has no exact twin of Dark Chocolate. The nearest is Chocolate Therapy (N150-7) at ΔE 4.18 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Chocolate Therapy swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Dark Chocolate
At Benjamin Moore, the closest color to Dark Chocolate is Appalachian Brown (2115-10) — very close at ΔE 2.46, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 5) and carries a warm red undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Appalachian Brown swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Dark Chocolate
Glidden has no exact twin of Dark Chocolate. The nearest is Western Charcoal (50YR 06/041) at ΔE 4.35 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Western Charcoal swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Dark Chocolate
Dutch Boy has no exact twin of Dark Chocolate. The nearest is Parkwood (404-7DB) at ΔE 4.31 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Parkwood swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Dark Chocolate
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Dark Chocolate. The nearest is Turkish Coffee (HGSW 2491) at ΔE 4.31 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Turkish Coffee swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Dark Chocolate
Magnolia Home has no exact twin of Dark Chocolate. The nearest is Moments (JG-150) at ΔE 3.75 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 4 vs 5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Moments swatch →
Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Dark Chocolate
Farrow & Ball has no exact twin of Dark Chocolate. The nearest is Cola (NO. 9918) at ΔE 3.99 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Cola swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Dark Chocolate
Hirshfield's has no exact twin of Dark Chocolate. The nearest is Evermore (0557) at ΔE 3.63 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 7 vs 5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Evermore swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Dark Chocolate
Kompozit has no exact twin of Dark Chocolate. The nearest is Evermore (0557) at ΔE 3.63 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Evermore swatch →