Tricorn Black
SW 6258 · Sherwin-Williams
Sherwin-Williams
Tricorn Black
SW 6258
No distinct lean, no distinct lean in this calculation
- Color family
- Neutral
- Sold for
- Interior and exterior
Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black SW 6258 is a true black from the neutral family. Its LRV of 3 places it near the dark end of the scale, and our calculation groups its swatch as neutral; lighting and finish can still reveal a cast. It is used on front doors, window frames, trim, cabinets, accent walls and exteriors wherever a clean black is wanted.
Source: Sherwin-Williams's color data. Undertone labels describe our calculation, not the paint formula or a test in your room. How we assess colors.
Is Tricorn Black warm or cool? Undertones by the numbers
too close to gray to lean
Undertone
No distinct lean
A true neutral, no lean at all.
Tricorn Black falls in our lowest-chroma category, with a trace of violet in the published coordinates. Caviar SW 6990 and Black Magic SW 6991 have similarly dark swatches, but the paints can differ on a surface. Compare them in the intended finish beside your trim and hardware. Inkwell SW 6992 and Black of Night SW 6993 have a more pronounced blue swatch lean if you want a bluer black.
Tricorn Black in different lighting
In a north-facing room Tricorn Black may look nearly flat black, with less visible detail on doors or paneling. South and west light can reveal more sheen and texture; east light gives a useful morning comparison before the room falls into shade. Check the chosen finish under evening lamps too: its low-chroma swatch does not guarantee freedom from warm or cool casts.
Watch for
- In dim rooms it becomes a flat black plane and loses any sense of depth.
- Direct sun shows dust, roller marks and drywall texture more than on any lighter color.
- Outdoors in full sun it reads as a very dark charcoal, not as black.
Best rooms and surfaces for Tricorn Black
Tricorn Black earns its place on the parts of a room that need a sharp edge: interior doors, window frames, stair railings, a kitchen island, a range hood, a bathroom vanity. Against walls in a warm white like Alabaster SW 7008 or Greek Villa SW 7551, those black lines make the room look finished. Full cabinets work in a big, bright kitchen with a light counter; in a small kitchen it can swallow the room. As a wall color it suits a powder room, dining room or bedroom with good lighting, and it falls flat in a hallway or a room with one small window. It sits well with white oak, pale maple, marble, white quartz, brass and chrome.
Tricorn Black on an exterior
Tricorn Black is listed for exterior use and sits in the Top Exterior Colors collection. In full sun it reads lighter than indoors, closer to a very dark charcoal, though still blacker than Iron Ore SW 7069. It goes on front doors, shutters, window frames and gutters, and on whole modern exteriors with metal roofs; against black siding, Ice Cube SW 6252 is the Sherwin-Williams trim pairing and Extra White SW 7006 gives a sharper line. Dark paint absorbs heat, so check that your siding is rated for it.
Try Tricorn Black on your own walls
Upload a photo of your room, or the outside of your house, and TryMyHome renders Tricorn Black onto the walls for an illustrative preview beside your floors and furniture. Confirm the color with a physical sample. Your first 3 renders are free.
Tricorn Black vs Iron Ore and Urbane Bronze
Iron OreTricorn BlackTricorn Black vs Iron Ore SW 7069
Tricorn Black is a touch darker; both fall in our no distinct lean category. Based on published LRV and our swatch classification.
Iron Ore SW 7069 sits on the same fan-deck strip and reflects about twice as much light as Tricorn Black. Both fall in our lowest-chroma category, so the only difference is depth, and on a wall it is the difference between charcoal and black. Pick Tricorn Black for doors, frames, trim and anything that should read as a line. Pick Iron Ore for siding, cabinets and walls, where the extra light keeps it from going flat.
Urbane BronzeTricorn BlackTricorn Black vs Urbane Bronze SW 7048
Tricorn Black is noticeably darker; undertone no distinct lean vs subtle yellow-brown. Based on published LRV and our swatch classification.
Urbane Bronze SW 7048 is noticeably lighter and has a subtle yellow-brown undertone, so it reads as a dark warm gray with brown in it. Tricorn Black has no undertone and reads as black. Pick Urbane Bronze for a house with brick, stone or cedar, where black can look harsh. Pick Tricorn Black when the palette is white and gray and you want the contrast as clean as possible.
Questions about Tricorn Black
Is Tricorn Black a true black?
Yes, as far as wall paint goes. It measures almost no color at all, with no warm or cool lean, and it is about as dark as wall paint gets. Caviar SW 6990 and Black Magic SW 6991 are nearly identical to it, so they are the same black on a wall. It looks black in every light.
What colors go with Tricorn Black?
Ice Cube SW 6252, a soft gray-white, is the Sherwin-Williams trim pairing, and two whites worth comparing are Extra White SW 7006 is crisp, Alabaster SW 7008 warm. White oak, pale maple, marble, white quartz, brass and chrome all sit well with it.
What is one shade lighter than Tricorn Black?
Caviar SW 6990 is the next color up on the strip, but the small swatch difference needs a physical sample to judge. The first visibly lighter black is Iron Ore SW 7069, which reflects about twice as much light and reads as charcoal.
Is Tricorn Black good for a front door?
Yes. A front door is one of its most common uses. In a satin or semi-gloss finish it gives a dark black to compare beside the siding, and it is listed for exterior use. It pairs with brass, black and nickel hardware alike.
Get a sample before you paint
Use the visualizer to narrow your shortlist, then confirm the finalist on your actual wall. A peel-and-stick sample of Tricorn Black, checked in morning and evening light, is the last step before a gallon.
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Trim, ceiling and coordinating colors for Tricorn Black
Sherwin-Williams lists Ice Cube SW 6252, a soft gray-white, as the trim and ceiling white for Tricorn Black, which keeps the pairing from looking stark. Most people want more contrast, and two whites worth comparing are Extra White SW 7006 is the crispest, Pure White SW 7005 softer, Alabaster SW 7008 warmer. When Tricorn Black is the trim, paint the ceiling in the wall's white; when it is the wall, keep the ceiling in a flat version of the trim white.
Colors lighter than Tricorn Black
Colors similar to Tricorn Black
Closest matches for Tricorn Black in other brands
These are the closest digital colors in our catalog, not equivalent paint formulas or touch-up substitutes. Compare physical samples in the same finish before choosing. See the comparison method.