Paint colors · Benjamin Moore, as published by the brand

Midnight Blue 1638: Benjamin Moore hex #494E52, LRV and undertone

Midnight Blue (1638) from Benjamin Moore is #494E52 with an LRV of 8.22. It measures as a true neutral with almost no undertone.

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

Updated November 11, 2026

Benjamin MooreMidnight Blue1638

Hex: #494E52
RGB: 73, 78, 82
LRV: 8.22
Undertone: True neutral

LRV 8.22. Very dark: close to black on the wall; use where you want drama or contrast.

Almost no undertone (chroma 0.009): it reads as a clean gray in most light.

Coordinating colors Benjamin Moore suggests

Cloud White967
Grenadier Pond698
Simply WhiteOC-117
Autumn Gold2152-30

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 swatchMidnight Bluemedium-dark gray

HEX: #494E52
RGB: rgb(73, 78, 82)
HSL: hsl(207, 6%, 30%)

Best text on it: white at 8.41:1

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Midnight Blue#494E52

Every code for Midnight Blue

HEX#494E52
RGBrgb(73, 78, 82)
HSLhsl(207, 6%, 30%)
HSV207°, 11%, 32%
CMYK11%, 5%, 0%, 68%
Lablab(32.8% -1.4 -3.1)
OKLCHoklch(42.1% 0.009 241.9)
Decimal4804178

Tints, shades and tones

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

90%#EDEDEE
80%#DBDCDC
70%#C8CACB
60%#B6B8BA
50%#A4A7A9
40%#929597
30%#808386
20%#6D7175
10%#5B6063
Base#494E52
10%#42464A
20%#3A3E42
30%#333739
40%#2C2F31
50%#252729
60%#1D1F21
70%#161719
80%#0F1010
90%#070808

Tones (mixed with gray)

10%#4F5357
20%#54585B
30%#5A5D60
40%#5F6264
50%#656769
60%#6A6C6E
70%#707172
80%#757677
90%#7B7B7B

Matching colors

Complementary

#494E52
#524D49

Analogous

#495252
#494E52
#494A52

Triadic

#494E52
#52494E
#4E5249

Split complementary

#494E52
#52494A
#525249

Tetradic (square)

#494E52
#524952
#524D49
#4A5249

Monochromatic

#0A0A0B
#25282A
#494E52
#6D747A
#949BA0

Midnight Blue 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.

Midnight Blue with its complement, its triad and its tint and shade

Midnight Blue
Triad #52494E
Triad #4E5249
Complement
50% tint
50% shade

Midnight Blue in use

New collectionAutumn edit

Card body text stays dark for reading; midnight blue carries the header and the button.

Shop nowTag

Headline in Midnight Blue

A paragraph with a link set in this color, which is dark enough for text on white.

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#494E52
Protanopia (no red cones)#4C4E52
Deuteranopia (no green cones)#4B4D52
Tritanopia (no blue cones)#474F4F

Contrast and readability

Pairing	Ratio	WCAG 2.2
as text on white	8.41:1	AA AA large AAA
as text on black	2.49:1	AA AA large AAA
white text on it	8.41:1	AA AA large AAA
black text on it	2.49:1	AA AA large AAA
on your background	7.34:1	AA AA large AAA

Try a background

Export

:root {
  --midnight-blue: #494e52;
  --midnight-blue-rgb: 73 78 82;
  --midnight-blue-on: #ffffff;
}

On this page

A name with "blue" in it sets up an expectation, so start with the numbers. Midnight Blue, code 1638, is hex #494E52, RGB 73, 78, 82. The spread between channels is only nine steps.

What the file says about the hue

The OKLCH value is oklch(42.1% 0.009 242). Chroma of 0.009 is tiny, so it is classed as a true neutral: almost no undertone, a clean dark gray in most light. The hue angle of 242 degrees does point at blue, and you may catch a very cool edge next to a warm beige, but the saturation is too low to read as a blue in its own right. Its LRV is 8.22, which is deep enough that an unlit wall looks nearly black.

Worked example

Imagine a home office with a south window, built-in shelves and a ceiling in Simply White. Painting the shelves and back wall in Midnight Blue makes books and objects stand out, and the daylight keeps the color from feeling like a cave. The brand lists Cloud White (967) and Simply White (OC-117) among its coordinating colors, so those two cover the trim and ceiling. Test the pair under your desk lamp as well, since a dark color changes character most after sunset.

White text on #494E52 measures 8.41:1 and black text 2.49:1. Light lettering is the clear choice for a button or label in this shade.

The rest of the coordinating list

Besides those two whites, Benjamin Moore lists Grenadier Pond (698) and Autumn Gold (2152-30). Neither has a page here. Autumn Gold gives a warm accent against a cool gray, while Grenadier Pond is the other option for a second color.

Close neighbors

Several dark grays sit nearby. Raccoon Fur (2126-20) sits at ΔE 1.5, so two walls in these paints would look like one color. Wrought Iron (2124-10) is 2.9 and Graphite (1603) is 3.4, related but visible.

Sherwin-Williams offers Peppercorn (SW 7674) at 5.1 and Iron Ore (SW 7069) at 5.6, both just into clearly different. Urbane Bronze (SW 7048) is 7.5 and Thunder Gray (SW 7645) is 8.1, noticeably warmer. On very dark colors small differences can hide in a sample card, so compare real swatches in your own room before picking between them.

Because the saturation is this low, the color behaves like charcoal with a faint chill. It works well when you want a dark backdrop that does not compete with art, rugs or colorful furniture. If you want real blue, this is not the paint to choose, and the sample will make that clear in a minute.