NEUTRALS
Traffic Black
#1E1E1D
Traffic Black is #1E1E1D in HEX — rgb(30, 30, 29), hsl(60°, 2%, 12%), cmyk(0%, 0%, 3%, 88%).
Traffic Black pulls into the deep end of the neutrals spectrum — HSL 60°, 2%, 12%. The neutral saturation makes it near-neutral and forgiving, and the hue reads cool. In interior projects it shines on main walls, trims, ceilings — versatile across nearly any style. Reads best alongside soft whites, natural wood, matte black trim, linen.
Color Codes
Paint Matches — this color across 16 brands
RAL
Traffic Black 9017
Dulux
Black SG6G9
Kilz
Deep Onyx TB-40
Vista Paint
Silent Sea C-514
Hallman-Lindsay
Silent Sea 515
IKEA
IKEA186 186
Sherwin-Williams
Tricorn Black SW6258
Benjamin Moore
Black HC-187
Behr
Beluga 770F-7
Colorhouse
Wood .06 Wood-06
Dutch Boy
Dark Chocolate D-6782
Kobra
Black 44
Farrow & Ball
Pitch Black 256
Dunn-Edwards
Black DEA187
PPG
Black Magic 1001-7
Valspar
Dark Kettle Black 4011-2
Light Reflectance & Undertone
Light Reflectance Value (LRV)
1/100
Very Dark
Absorbs almost all light — dramatic and cocooning. Needs strong artificial lighting and works best as an accent or in well-lit rooms.
Undertone
A near-neutral with a subtle neutral green undertone — it will pick up colour from surrounding surfaces and shift noticeably under different light.
Color Theory
Complementary
Analogous
Triadic
Split-Complementary
Tetradic
Monochromatic
Rectangle
Compound
Variations
Lighter
Darker
Saturation
Interior Use
Best Rooms
living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens
Best Uses
main walls, trim, accents
Pairs With
soft whites, natural wood, brass, matte black trim
Accessibility (WCAG)
Deuteranopia
Protanopia
Tritanopia
Color Psychology
Quiet · Versatile
Traffic Black gets out of the way so the architecture and the people in the room do the work. The right neutral is never a default — it reads warm or cool, dusty or sharp depending on its undertone, and that undertone is what makes or breaks the room.
How it looks under different light
Pairs With
Paint Info
Brand · Product Line
Benjamin Moore / Aura Interior (for richer color depth in deep tones)
Recommended Finishes
Matte (walls) · Pearl (trim) · Satin (doors)
Deep colors look best in matte — gloss exaggerates surface flaws. Reserve subtle sheen for trim, doors, and high-touch areas.
Best Surfaces
Accent walls · Doors · Cabinetry · Built-ins
Coverage & Dry Time
Typical coverage 350-400 sq ft per gallon over a primed surface.
Touch-dry in ~1 hour. Recoat after 4 hours. Full cure 7-14 days.
Primer
Tinted primer in a similar value is highly recommended — saves a coat and prevents the wall colour from washing the surface.
Application Tip
Use a 9" microfiber roller on walls and a 2.5" angled sash brush for trim cuts. Two coats minimum for even depth.
Paint Calculator
You'll need
4.0 litres
1.06 US gallons · room for one touch-up coat. Buy slightly more to ensure single-batch match.
Code Snippets
color: #1E1E1D;background-color: #1E1E1D;--color-traffic-black: #1E1E1D;colors: { 'traffic-black': '#1E1E1D' }bg-[#1E1E1D] text-[#1E1E1D]$traffic-black: #1E1E1D;Similar Colors
Our color tools run on our own catalogue of 26,000+ real paint colors across 16 brands — Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, Behr, Dulux, RAL and more — with the color math (HSL and CIELAB matching) computed in-house, not scraped from summaries. Every color you pick maps to a real, buyable paint with its code, so what you see here you can actually take to the store. We review and update these tools and their data regularly.
Created by Denis Kataev, founder of DSGN.HOUSE — a software engineer and digital entrepreneur building professional color-design tools for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #1E1E1D?
#1E1E1D is Traffic Black, a near-black neutral with a cool undertone.
Is #1E1E1D warm or cool?
Traffic Black reads cool, which influences how it interacts with surrounding tones and natural light.
What rooms work best with Traffic Black?
Traffic Black works well in living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens. Designers typically use it for main walls, trim, accents.
What colors pair well with Traffic Black?
Traffic Black pairs naturally with soft whites, natural wood, brass, matte black trim. Its complementary color is also a strong contrast option for accents.
Where can I download Traffic Black?
You can download Traffic Black on DSGN.HOUSE in 15 designer formats including CSS gradient, Figma, Procreate swatches, Tailwind config, Adobe ASE, SVG, and 4K wallpapers — all free.
What's the hex code for Traffic Black?
The hex code is #1E1E1D. In RGB it's 30, 30, 29, and in HSL it's 60°, 2%, 12%.
