Color spec
| Brand | Valspar |
| Name | Very Black |
| SKU | 5011-2 |
| Hex | #2F3238 |
| RGB | 47, 50, 56 |
| HSL | 220°, 9%, 20% |
| LRV | 3.2 |
| Undertone | cool blue tone |
| Family | Black |
About Valspar Very Black
At LRV 3.2, Very Black 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.
Very Black 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
15 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
Glidden
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Magnolia Home
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Rodda
C2 Paint
Portola Paints
Rust-Oleum
Kompozit
Similar Valspar colors
closest in the Valspar deckThe nearest shades to Very Black 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 #2F3238 in HSL space. Pair Very Black 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 Very Black Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Very Black 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 5011-2 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Very Black
Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Very Black. The nearest is Black Magic (SW 6991) at ΔE 3.52 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 3 vs 3.2). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Black Magic swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Very Black
At Behr, the closest color to Very Black is Spade Black (BNC-38) — very close at ΔE 2.63, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 3 vs 3.2) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Spade Black swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Very Black
At Benjamin Moore, the closest color to Very Black is Midnight Dream (2129-10) — very close at ΔE 2.6, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 5 vs 3.2) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Midnight Dream swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Very Black
Glidden has no exact twin of Very Black. The nearest is Onyx Black (00NN 05/000) at ΔE 4.66 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 5 vs 3.2). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Onyx Black swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Very Black
At Dutch Boy, the closest color to Very Black is True Black (438-7DB) — very close at ΔE 3.37, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 3 vs 3.2) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full True Black swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Very Black
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Very Black. The nearest is Caviar (HGSW 6990) at ΔE 3.55 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 3 vs 3.2). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Caviar swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Very Black
Dunn-Edwards has no exact twin of Very Black. The nearest is Black (DEA002) at ΔE 4.87 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 4 vs 3.2). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Black swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Very Black
The closest Magnolia Home equivalent of Very Black is Blackboard (JG-05). At ΔE 0.64 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same cool blue undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 3 vs 3.2). If Magnolia Home is your counter, order Blackboard and you'll get the same color. See the full Blackboard swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Very Black
Diamond Vogel has no exact twin of Very Black. The nearest is Grantsburg Gray (H101) at ΔE 4.1 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 4 vs 3.2). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Grantsburg Gray swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Very Black
Hirshfield's has no exact twin of Very Black. The nearest is Sayward Pine (H0101) at ΔE 3.83 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 4 vs 3.2). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Sayward Pine swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Very Black
Rodda has no exact twin of Very Black. The nearest is Midnight (CA210) at ΔE 4.05 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 5 vs 3.2). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Midnight swatch →
Portola Paints Equivalent of Very Black
At Portola Paints, the closest color to Very Black is Story Teller (STORY TELLER) — very close at ΔE 2.71, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 3 vs 3.2) 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 Very Black
Rust-Oleum has no exact twin of Very Black. The nearest is Charcoal (285144) at ΔE 3.81 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 4 vs 3.2). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Charcoal swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Very Black
At Kompozit, the closest color to Very Black is Octavius (0522) — very close at ΔE 2.68, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 4 vs 3.2) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Octavius swatch →