Paint colors · Benjamin Moore, as published by the brand

Black Pepper 2130-40, Benjamin Moore: hex #717C86 and LRV 21.12

Black Pepper (2130-40) from Benjamin Moore is #717C86 with an LRV of 21.12. It measures as a cool neutral with a blue undertone.

By Paul Gunder. Every value is computed from published standards; see how ColorPlum works.

Updated November 11, 2026

Benjamin MooreBlack Pepper2130-40

Hex: #717C86
RGB: 113, 124, 134
LRV: 21.12
Undertone: Cool neutral, blue undertone

LRV 21.12. Dark: a deep color that absorbs most light; often used on cabinets, doors and accent walls.

A neutral with a blue cast (OKLCH hue 246°, chroma 0.020). Expect the blue to show more in warm evening light and next to cooler whites.

Coordinating colors Benjamin Moore suggests

Ice Cube Silver2121-50
Black Iron2120-20
Chalk White2126-70
Misted Green2138-50

Closest colors from other brands

ΔE is the CIEDE2000 difference between the published values: under 2 is hard to tell apart on a wall, 2 to 5 is a visible but related shade. Always compare real chips before you buy.

Name, code, LRV and color value as published by Benjamin Moore on its color page (checked 2026-11-11). A screen can only approximate paint: sheen, lighting and the screen itself all change it, so check a physical sample. ColorPlum is not affiliated with Benjamin Moore.

ColorPlum swatchBlack Peppermedium, grayish blue

HEX: #717C86
RGB: rgb(113, 124, 134)
HSL: hsl(209, 9%, 48%)

Best text on it: black at 4.92:1

Build a palette Make a gradient Check contrast Wallpaper

Black Pepper#717C86

Every code for Black Pepper

HEX#717C86
RGBrgb(113, 124, 134)
HSLhsl(209, 9%, 48%)
HSV209°, 16%, 53%
CMYK16%, 7%, 0%, 47%
Lablab(51.3% -2.6 -6.9)
OKLCHoklch(58.1% 0.02 245.6)
Decimal7437446

Tints, shades and tones

From white to black in 10% steps, with Black Pepper in the middle. Tap a code to copy it.

90%#F1F2F3
80%#E3E5E7
70%#D4D8DB
60%#C6CBCF
50%#B8BEC3
40%#AAB0B6
30%#9CA3AA
20%#8D969E
10%#7F8992
Base#717C86
10%#667079
20%#5A636B
30%#4F575E
40%#444A50
50%#393E43
60%#2D3236
70%#222528
80%#17191B
90%#0B0C0D

Tones (mixed with gray)

10%#737C85
20%#747D85
30%#767D84
40%#777E84
50%#797E83
60%#7A7E82
70%#7C7F82
80%#7D7F81
90%#7F8081

Matching colors

Complementary

#717C86
#867B71

Analogous

#718686
#717C86
#717286

Triadic

#717C86
#86717C
#7C8671

Split complementary

#717C86
#867172
#868671

Tetradic (square)

#717C86
#867186
#867B71
#728671

Monochromatic

#2B2F33
#4E565C
#717C86
#9AA2AA
#C3C8CD

Black Pepper in 3D color space

OKLab, the space ColorPlum does its math in: lightness runs up the pole, hue goes around it and saturation grows outward. The faint shell is every color a screen can show (saturation is drawn wider than lightness so hues separate). Drag to turn it.

Black Pepper with its complement, its triad and its tint and shade

Black Pepper
Triad #86717C
Triad #7C8671
Complement
50% tint
50% shade

Black Pepper in use

New collectionAutumn edit

Card body text stays dark for reading; black pepper carries the header and the button.

Shop nowTag

Headline in Black Pepper

A paragraph with a link in dark text, because this color is too light for text on white; use it for fills instead.

How it looks with color-vision deficiency

A simulation (Machado and colleagues, 2009) of how the color and its complement read without one type of cone.

Typical color vision#717C86
Protanopia (no red cones)#787C87
Deuteranopia (no green cones)#767A86
Tritanopia (no blue cones)#6C7E7F

Contrast and readability

Pairing	Ratio	WCAG 2.2
as text on white	4.26:1	AA AA large AAA
as text on black	4.92:1	AA AA large AAA
white text on it	4.26:1	AA AA large AAA
black text on it	4.92:1	AA AA large AAA
on your background	3.71:1	AA AA large AAA

Try a background

Export

:root {
  --black-pepper: #717c86;
  --black-pepper-rgb: 113 124 134;
  --black-pepper-on: #000000;
}

On this page

Black Pepper is a misleading name for what is a medium slate blue-gray. The code is 2130-40, the hex is #717C86, and the RGB is 113, 124, 134.

Numbers first

OKLCH reads oklch(58.1% 0.02 246). The chroma of 0.020 is low enough for a neutral, and the hue near 246 degrees gives it a blue undertone, so it falls in the cool-neutral group. The LRV of 21.12 puts it in the dark band: it soaks up most light and suits cabinets, doors or one deep wall. Cool grays reveal their blue most under incandescent lamps and beside crisp whites, because the surroundings exaggerate the lean.

Worked example

Take a mudroom with a north-facing window, where you plan to paint the lockers and bench. Black Pepper on the cabinetry, with Chalk White (2126-70) on the walls above, gives a clean break between fixtures and wall. North light is already cool, so the blue reading will strengthen; if the room feels chilly, warm bulbs help. A brass hook rail would add a counterweight.

Contrast figures are almost level: black text reaches 4.92:1 and white 4.26:1. Only black type passes the usual 4.5:1 threshold for body copy; white falls short, so keep it for large headings. A quick pass through the contrast grid will confirm combinations you plan to use.

Benjamin Moore's coordinating colors

The brand lists Ice Cube Silver (2121-50), Black Iron (2120-20), Chalk White (2126-70) and Misted Green (2138-50). The site has no pages for these, so look each up by its code. The set contains a lighter silver, a near black, a white and a soft green, which covers trim, contrast and an accent.

Nearest relatives

Wolf Gray (2127-40) is ΔE 1.4, a gap too small to notice once the paint is up. Templeton Gray (HC-161) is 6.7 and Night Train (1567) is 8.3, both clearly different.

Across brands, Sherwin-Williams Downing Slate (SW 2819) is 2.2, related but visible, and Software (SW 7074) is 5.5. Behr Dark Ash (770F-5) is 8 and Sherwin-Williams Steely Gray (SW 7664) is 10.3. The 2.2 for Downing Slate is a respectable stand-in only if you confirm it with real samples.

For a door or cabinet, remember that dark colors show dust, fingerprints and brush marks more than light ones do. Ask for a sample on the real material, not just a paper card, and look at it from a few steps back.