Dark Night → Valspar
The closest Valspar matches for Sherwin Williams Dark Night (SW 6237), ranked by perceptual color distance.
Finding a Valspar Equivalent for Dark Night
If you love Sherwin Williams Dark Night but need a Valspar alternative, you are not alone. This is one of the most common cross-brand paint matching searches, whether you are working with a painter who prefers Valspar, your local store does not carry Sherwin Williams, or you simply want to compare prices across brands before committing.
Dark Night (SW 6237) is a dark navy with deep navy undertones. A deep, inky navy-black. Darker than Naval, with less blue saturation. Approaches black but retains enough blue to read as the darkest possible navy rather than a true black. To find a good Valspar match, we need a color that captures not just the right depth (LRV 3) but also that specific undertone character. That is where Delta E color science comes in.
We calculated the perceptual color distance between Dark Night and every Valspar color using the CIE2000 Delta E formula, which measures how different two colors look to the human eye. A Delta E under 2 means most people cannot tell the colors apart. Between 2 and 4, you might notice a difference in certain lighting. Above 5, the difference is clearly visible side by side.
The good news: there is a strong Valspar match for Dark Night. London Coach (VR078B) comes in with a Delta E of 2.3, which puts it in the "excellent match" range. London Coach is the closest Valspar option at LRV 5. Very close match.
Valspar Matches for Dark Night
London Coach is the closest Valspar option at LRV 5. Very close match.
| Dark Night | London Coach | |
|---|---|---|
| LRV | 3 | 5 |
| Hex | #2B343E | #343C48 |
| Undertone | Deep Navy | Deep Blue-Gray |
| Family | Navy | Navy |
Undertone Comparison
Dark Night has deep navy undertones. A deep, inky navy-black. Darker than Naval, with less blue saturation. Approaches black but retains enough blue to read as the darkest possible navy rather than a true black.
London Coach has deep blue-gray undertones. A deep, distinguished navy-gray. Named for the classic London coach, it carries the same sense of refined tradition. More gray than a true navy, less stark than black. Dignified and timeless.
These two colors share the same undertone family, which is a good sign for a cross-brand swap. The undertone similarity means they will behave similarly as lighting changes throughout the day, and they should coordinate well with the same accent colors, trim, and furnishings.
How These Colors Behave in Different Lighting
Dark Night in Your Room
In any lighting, this reads as very dark. In bright direct light, you can see the deep blue. In dim rooms, it is essentially black with blue depth. Dramatic and bold.
London Coach in Your Room
In bright light, the blue character shows through. In dim rooms, it approaches a sophisticated near-black. Under warm light, the gray softens it. A versatile dark accent color.
LRV and Brightness
Dark Night has an LRV of 3, while London Coach has an LRV of 5. These two colors reflect a very similar amount of light, so you should not notice a significant difference in room brightness when switching between them. The room will feel approximately the same in terms of light and space, which makes this a smoother transition.
Best Rooms for Dark Night
Sherwin Williams recommends Dark Night for: front door, accent wall, shutters, exterior trim, powder room. With an LRV of 3, this is a dark color that absorbs more light than it reflects. It makes a bold statement and works beautifully on accent walls, front doors, exterior trim, and features where drama is the goal. In a full room, make sure you have good lighting and bright white trim for contrast.
London Coach is recommended for: front door, accent wall, exterior trim, shutters, powder room. Both colors are recommended for similar applications, which confirms that this is a practical cross-brand match. You can use London Coach in the same rooms you planned for Dark Night.
Dark Night in Other Brands
Looking for Dark Night equivalents in other brands besides Valspar? We have matches across all major paint brands.
Frequently Asked Questions
The closest Valspar match for Dark Night (SW 6237) is London Coach (VR078B) with a Delta E of 2.3, which rates as a "excellent match" match. London Coach is the closest Valspar option at LRV 5. Very close match. Delta E measures perceptual color distance on a scale where under 2 means nearly identical, 2 to 4 means close with subtle differences, and over 5 means clearly noticeable.
No, they are not identical. Dark Night is a Sherwin Williams color with deep navy undertones and an LRV of 3. London Coach is a Valspar color with deep blue-gray undertones and an LRV of 5. With a Delta E of 2.3, the difference is subtle and mainly visible in direct side-by-side comparison. Paint formulations differ between brands, so even colors with similar values can look slightly different due to pigment concentration, binders, and finish.
With a Delta E of 2.3, these colors are close enough to use in separate rooms of the same house without a jarring difference. However, avoid painting them on adjacent walls in the same room, as even subtle differences become apparent at a hard edge where two paints meet. For the smoothest result, use one brand consistently within each connected space and reserve the other brand for rooms that are visually separated.
There are several practical reasons to look for a Valspar equivalent. Price differences between brands can be significant on large projects. Availability matters if your nearest paint store or home center specializes in Valspar. Some painters have strong preferences for one brand's formula based on coverage, dry time, or workability. And if you are touching up existing Valspar work, matching within the same brand gives you the best consistency for seamless results.
Match calculations use Delta E (CIE2000) computed from Lab color space conversion. Color data sourced from manufacturer specifications. Last reviewed: March 22, 2026.