Finding a Behr Equivalent for London Coach

If you love Valspar London Coach but need a Behr 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 Behr, your local store does not carry Valspar, or you simply want to compare prices across brands before committing.

London Coach (VR078B) is a dark navy with 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. To find a good Behr match, we need a color that captures not just the right depth (LRV 5) but also that specific undertone character. That is where Delta E color science comes in.

We calculated the perceptual color distance between London Coach and every Behr 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 Behr match for London Coach. Midnight Blue (PPU15-18) comes in with a Delta E of 2, which puts it in the "excellent match" range. Midnight Blue is the closest Behr option. Very close match.

Behr Matches for London Coach

Midnight Blue PPU15-18
Excellent match · ΔE 2

Midnight Blue is the closest Behr option. Very close match.

London CoachMidnight Blue
LRV55
Hex#343C48#323C4B
UndertoneDeep Blue-GrayBlue-Purple
FamilyNavyNavy

Undertone Comparison

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.

Midnight Blue has blue-purple undertones. A deep, dramatic navy with subtle purple undertones. Rich and bold, with more purple lean than many navies.

The undertone difference is worth paying attention to. While they are close in overall appearance, the different undertones mean they may diverge in certain lighting. London Coach's deep blue-gray quality may read differently than Midnight Blue's blue-purple character, especially in rooms with strong directional light or colored accents that could pull out one undertone more than the other. Test a sample in your specific room before committing.

How These Colors Behave in Different Lighting

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.

Midnight Blue in Your Room

In bright light, the blue dominates. In dim rooms, the purple undertone becomes more apparent. Reads as a dramatic, moody navy in most settings.

LRV and Brightness

London Coach has an LRV of 5, while Midnight Blue 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 London Coach

Valspar recommends London Coach for: front door, accent wall, exterior trim, shutters, powder room. With an LRV of 5, 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.

Midnight Blue is recommended for: accent wall, front door, powder room, office, bedroom. The recommended applications differ slightly between brands, but the color's properties should work in the same rooms regardless of which brand you choose. Trust the LRV and undertone data more than the specific room suggestions, and always test in your actual space.

London Coach in Other Brands

Looking for London Coach equivalents in other brands besides Behr? We have matches across all major paint brands.

Frequently Asked Questions

The closest Behr match for London Coach (VR078B) is Midnight Blue (PPU15-18) with a Delta E of 2, which rates as a "excellent match" match. Midnight Blue is the closest Behr option. 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. London Coach is a Valspar color with deep blue-gray undertones and an LRV of 5. Midnight Blue is a Behr color with blue-purple undertones and an LRV of 5. With a Delta E of 2, these are extremely close and most people will not spot the difference on a wall. 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, 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 Behr equivalent. Price differences between brands can be significant on large projects. Availability matters if your nearest paint store or home center specializes in Behr. Some painters have strong preferences for one brand's formula based on coverage, dry time, or workability. And if you are touching up existing Behr work, matching within the same brand gives you the best consistency for seamless results.

Colors on screen are approximations. Your monitor, lighting, and paint finish will affect how colors appear in your space. Always test with a physical paint sample before purchasing.

Match calculations use Delta E (CIE2000) computed from Lab color space conversion. Color data sourced from manufacturer specifications. Last reviewed: March 22, 2026.