Color spec
| Brand | Valspar |
| Name | Tempest's Teapot |
| SKU | M250 |
| Hex | #252D31 |
| RGB | 37, 45, 49 |
| HSL | 200°, 14%, 17% |
| LRV | 2.5 |
| Undertone | cool blue tone |
| Family | Black |
About Valspar Tempest's Teapot
At LRV 2.5, Tempest's Teapot 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.
Tempest's Teapot earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Near-blacks like this are best as contrast — doors, trim, cabinets, window frames.
Closest matches by brand
10 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 black from that brand.
Sherwin-Williams
Behr
Benjamin Moore
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Magnolia Home
Hirshfield's
Portola Paints
Rust-Oleum
Kompozit
Similar Valspar colors
closest in the Valspar deckThe nearest shades to Tempest's Teapot 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 #252D31 in HSL space. Pair Tempest's Teapot 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 Tempest's Teapot Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Tempest's Teapot 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 M250 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Tempest's Teapot
At Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Tempest's Teapot is After the Storm (SW 9685) — very close at ΔE 2.86, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 3 vs 2.5) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full After the Storm swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Tempest's Teapot
At Behr, the closest color to Tempest's Teapot is Beluga (770F-7) — very close at ΔE 2.45, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 3 vs 2.5) and carries a cool blue-green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Beluga swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Tempest's Teapot
Benjamin Moore has no exact twin of Tempest's Teapot. The nearest is Black Forest Green (HC-187) at ΔE 4.57 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 5 vs 2.5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Black Forest Green swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Tempest's Teapot
Dutch Boy has no exact twin of Tempest's Teapot. The nearest is True Black (438-7DB) at ΔE 4.6 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 3 vs 2.5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full True Black swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Tempest's Teapot
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Tempest's Teapot. The nearest is Tricorn Black (HGSW 1441) at ΔE 4.6 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 3 vs 2.5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Tricorn Black swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Tempest's Teapot
Magnolia Home has no exact twin of Tempest's Teapot. The nearest is Blackboard (JG-05) at ΔE 4.38 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 3 vs 2.5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Blackboard swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Tempest's Teapot
Hirshfield's has no exact twin of Tempest's Teapot. The nearest is Silent Sea (0515) at ΔE 3.86 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 5 vs 2.5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Silent Sea swatch →
Portola Paints Equivalent of Tempest's Teapot
At Portola Paints, the closest color to Tempest's Teapot is Story Teller (STORY TELLER) — very close at ΔE 3.05, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 3 vs 2.5) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Story Teller swatch →
Rust-Oleum Equivalent of Tempest's Teapot
Rust-Oleum has no exact twin of Tempest's Teapot. The nearest is Charcoal (285144) at ΔE 4.91 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 4 vs 2.5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Charcoal swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Tempest's Teapot
Kompozit has no exact twin of Tempest's Teapot. The nearest is Silent Sea (0515) at ΔE 3.86 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 2 vs 2.5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Silent Sea swatch →