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Nicolson Red CW-270
On-screen approximation from the published RGB value. Order a physical sample before you decide.
Undertone: Saturated red (a color, not a neutral)
In CIELAB, Nicolson Red sits at L* 31.4, a* 14.7, b* 8.7. Its hue angle is 31° and its chroma is 17.0, so it reads as an outright red rather than a neutral. It classifies as warm. Among Benjamin Moore colors with a similar LRV (±5), it is warmer (more yellow) than 60%.
LRV 8.9: very dark
Light Reflectance Value runs from 0 (absolute black) to 100 (perfect white). At 8.9, Nicolson Red is lighter than 5% of Benjamin Moore colors. Near-black depth. Use on doors, trim, cabinetry, exteriors or moody rooms with strong artificial lighting.
Closest Sherwin-Williams match to Nicolson Red
Ranked by CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE) computed from published RGB values. Below 2 is hard to tell apart on the wall; above 4 is a different color.
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carriage Door | SW 7594 | 2.94 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Cordovan | SW 6027 | 3.17 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Aurora Brown | SW 2837 | 3.20 | Close — difference visible side by side |
Closest Behr match to Nicolson Red
Ranked by CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE) computed from published RGB values. Below 2 is hard to tell apart on the wall; above 4 is a different color. Behr does not publish LRV, so Behr values here are estimates.
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tawny Port | S-G-730 | 1.09 | Very close | |
| Chicory Root | BXC-21 | 2.13 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Chipotle Paste | PPU2-01 | 2.27 | Close — difference visible side by side |
Similar Benjamin Moore colors
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Townsend Harbor Brown | HC-64 | 2.21 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| El Cajon Clay | 1260 | 2.21 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| New Pilgrim Red | ES-21 | 2.59 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Pine Cone Brown | 2113-20 | 3.09 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Raphael | CC-2 | 3.34 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Ruby Dusk | 1267 | 3.53 | Close — difference visible side by side |
Lighter and darker versions
Colors from Benjamin Moore with nearly the same hue and saturation, one step lighter or darker.
- Chocolate Candy Brown 2107-10 · lighter, LRV 9.0
- Reid Brown CW-260 · lighter, LRV 9.8
- Java 2106-10 · lighter, LRV 8.7
- Raphael CC-2 · darker, LRV 6.7
- Tudor Brown HC-185 · darker, LRV 6.4
- Coffeehouse Chocolate CW-165 · darker, LRV 6.6
Colors that go with Nicolson Red
Color-theory pairings — the nearest Benjamin Moore color to each rotated hue, keeping the same lightness and saturation:
- Deep Sea Green 735 · complementary (180°)
- Bordeaux Red 1365 · analogous (−30°)
- Deep Taupe 2111-10 · analogous (+30°)
- Colonial Verdigris CW-530 · triadic (120°)
- Hudson Bay 1680 · triadic (240°)
Nicolson Red vs popular colors
- Mahogany (Benjamin Moore ES-60, ΔE 5.5) is darker (LRV 7.0 vs 8.9), more green, more muted.
- New London Burgundy (Benjamin Moore HC-61, ΔE 5.7) is about as light, more blue/cool, more red/pink, more saturated.
- Dinner Party (Benjamin Moore AF-300, ΔE 7.5) is about as light, more yellow/warm, more red/pink, more saturated.