Behr Instant Classic MQ1-34
Contentsshow +hide -
| Code: | MQ1-34 |
| Name: | Instant Classic |
| Brand: | Behr |
What color is Behr Instant Classic?
Behr Instant Classic MQ1-34 is a deep, muted charcoal with a faint reddish-brown cast that keeps it from reading as a flat black. Its low-light depth makes it especially effective on cabinetry, interior doors, built-in shelving, or a small accent wall. In bright daylight, the softened warm undertone may be more noticeable, while evening light can pull it closer to a dark graphite gray. Pair Instant Classic with warm white trim, pale oak, aged brass, or linen-toned upholstery to bring out its quiet warmth.
Try before you buy
100% accurate
reusable paint samples
Peel, stick,
and repeat
Twice painted
with real paint
Next day
delivery
What are Behr Instant Classic undertones?
Instant Classic is a deep, near-neutral charcoal gray. Its chroma is so low that assigning a specific hue-based undertone would be misleading. Because it is close to neutral, nearby surfaces and the color of the light can noticeably change how warm or cool it appears.
HEX value:
RGB code:
82, 74, 75
Is Behr Instant Classic cool or warm?
warm
cool
With a hue of 352°, this black leans warm, but it is close to neutral and can read cooler in some light.
MQ1-34 Instant Classic HSL code: 352, 5%, 31%
Hue - degree on a color wheel from 0 to 360. 0 is red, 120 is green, and 240 is blue.
Saturation is expressed as a percentage. At 0%, it appears as a shade of grey, and at 100%, it is in full color.
Lightness is also a percentage value. 0% is black, and 100% is white.
How light temperature affects Instant Classic
Natural Lighting. During the day, natural light shifts from about 2000 K at sunrise/sunset to 5500–6500 K at noon.
In addition, natural-light temperature depends on its direction:
| Direction of sunlight | Visible temp. | Hue | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| North | Cool | Bluish | All day |
| East | Warm | Yellow | Before noon |
| West | Warm | Orange-red | After noon |
| South | Warm | Orange-yellow | All day |
Artificial Lighting. When choosing bulbs, pay attention to their color temperature in Kelvins.
Use the slider to see how this black shade looks under different lighting:
4000K
Coordinating colors.
Colors that go with Behr Instant Classic:
Monochromatic color scheme
This scheme consists of various shades, tints, and tones of a single color. While it offers a perfect combination of hues, without accent décor it may become monotonous.
Lighter shades
Complementary color scheme
This color scheme is a combination of two shades that are opposite each other on the color wheel. The high contrast between these colors creates a vibrant and dynamic visual effect. For the color Instant Classic with a red hue, complementary colors are those with a green hue close to 172, such as Behr Forest Edge and Longmeadow.
LRV of Instant Classic
Instant Classic has an LRV of 7.66% and refers to Dark colors which means that this color almost does not reflect light. Why LRV is important?
Light Reflectance Value measures the amount of visible and usable light that reflects from a painted surface.
Simply put, the higher the LRV of a paint color, the brighter the room you will get.
The scale goes from 0% (absolute black, absorbing all light) to 100% (pure white, reflecting all light).
Act like a pro: When choosing paint with an LRV of 7.66%, pay attention to your bulbs' brightness. Light brightness is measured in lumens. The lower the paint's LRV, the higher lumen level you need. Every square foot of room needs at least 40 lumens. That means for a 200 ft2 living room you'll need about 8000 lumens of light – e.g., eight 1000 lm bulbs.
Color codes
We have collected almost every possible color code you could ever need.
Not sure what the difference between HEX and RGB is? We break down color models in plain language. Understanding color models
| Format | Code |
|---|---|
| HEX | #524a4b |
| RGB Decimal | 82, 74, 75 |
| RGB Percent | 32.16%, 29.02%, 29.41% |
| HSV | Hue: 352° Saturation: 9.76% Value: 32.16% |
| HSL | hsl(352, 5, 31) |
| CMYK | Cyan: 0.0 Magenta: 9.76 Yellow: 8.54 Key: 67.84 |
| YIQ | Y: 76.506 I: 4.446 Q: 2.003 |
| XYZ | X: 7.198 Y: 7.2 Z: 7.665 |
| CIE Lab | L:32.257 a:3.54 b:0.62 |
| CIE Luv | L:32.257 u:4.413 v:0.236 |
| Decimal | 5392971 |
| Hunter Lab | 26.832, 0.931, 1.845 |
Color equivalents
8005-12G
Bittersweet Molasses
Valspar US
N570-7
Black Elegance
Behr
N110-7
Black Garnet
Behr
V124-6
Soft Panther
Valspar US
SW 9575
Metropolis
Sherwin Williams
N100-7
Aubergine
Behr
HDC-AC-26
Sarsaparilla
Behr
N550-7
Catwalk
Behr
T501
Moon Rock
Valspar US
2130-20
Deep Caviar
Benjamin Moore
N530-7
Private Black
Behr
2116-20
Vintage Wine
Benjamin Moore
SW 9154
Perle Noir
Sherwin Williams
PPU24-02
Berry Brown
Behr
PPU5-20
Sweet Molasses
Behr
AF-655
Silhouette
Benjamin Moore
CW-175
Tucker Chocolate
Benjamin Moore
HDC-CL-14A
Warm Onyx
Behr
