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Black Forest Green HC-187
On-screen approximation from the published RGB value. Order a physical sample before you decide.
Undertone: Subtle blue-green undertone
In CIELAB, Black Forest Green sits at L* 18.0, a* -4.8, b* -0.1. Its hue angle is 182° and its chroma is 4.8, so it leans blue-green only slightly — the undertone mostly shows next to whiter or grayer colors. It classifies as cool. Among Benjamin Moore colors with a similar LRV (±5), it is warmer (more yellow) than 50%.
LRV 4.8: very dark
Light Reflectance Value runs from 0 (absolute black) to 100 (perfect white). At 4.8, Black Forest Green is lighter than 0% of Benjamin Moore colors. Near-black depth. Use on doors, trim, cabinetry, exteriors or moody rooms with strong artificial lighting.
Closest Sherwin-Williams match to Black Forest Green
Ranked by CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE) computed from published RGB values. Below 2 is hard to tell apart on the wall; above 4 is a different color.
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Night Watch | SW 9680 | 3.99 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Rookwood Shutter Green | SW 2809 | 4.11 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Jasper | SW 6216 | 4.80 | Similar, clearly different |
Closest Behr match to Black Forest Green
Ranked by CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE) computed from published RGB values. Below 2 is hard to tell apart on the wall; above 4 is a different color. Behr does not publish LRV, so Behr values here are estimates.
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Limousine Leather | MQ5-5 | 7.34 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Limousine Leather | MQ5-05 | 7.34 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Obsidian Stone | ECC-25-3 | 7.70 | Similar, clearly different |
Similar Benjamin Moore colors
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Knight | 2136-10 | 4.60 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Essex Green | HC-188 | 4.86 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Salamander | 2050-10 | 5.33 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Black Satin | 2131-10 | 5.39 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Waller Green | CW-510 | 5.97 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Blacktop | 2135-10 | 6.30 | Similar, clearly different |
Lighter and darker versions
Colors from Benjamin Moore with nearly the same hue and saturation, one step lighter or darker.
- Black HC-190 · lighter, LRV 4.6
- Black 2132-10 · lighter, LRV 4.6
- Essex Green HC-188 · lighter, LRV 5.6
Colors that go with Black Forest Green
Color-theory pairings — the nearest Benjamin Moore color to each rotated hue, keeping the same lightness and saturation:
- Bucktrout Brown CW-180 · complementary (180°)
- Waller Green CW-510 · analogous (−30°)
- Black Knight 2136-10 · analogous (+30°)
- Carbon Copy 2117-10 · triadic (120°)
- Bucktrout Brown CW-180 · triadic (240°)
Black Forest Green vs popular colors
- Essex Green (Benjamin Moore HC-188, ΔE 4.9) is about as light, more yellow/warm, more green, more saturated.
- Salamander (Benjamin Moore 2050-10, ΔE 5.3) is about as light, more blue/cool, more green.
- Tricorn Black (Sherwin-Williams SW 6258, ΔE 6.7) is darker (LRV 2.8 vs 4.8), more red/pink, more muted.