Home › Sherwin-Williams › Red › Fairfax Brown
Fairfax Brown SW 2856
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, Fairfax Brown sits at L* 32.3, a* 9.8, b* 11.8. Its hue angle is 50° and its chroma is 15.3, so it reads as an outright red rather than a neutral. It classifies as warm. Among Sherwin-Williams colors with a similar LRV (±5), it is warmer (more yellow) than 73%.
LRV 7.2: very dark
Light Reflectance Value runs from 0 (absolute black) to 100 (perfect white). At 7.2, Fairfax Brown is lighter than 7% of Sherwin-Williams colors. Near-black depth. Use on doors, trim, cabinetry, exteriors or moody rooms with strong artificial lighting.
Closest Benjamin Moore match to Fairfax Brown
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Java | 2106-10 | 1.94 | Very close | |
| Barrel Brown | 2098-10 | 1.98 | Very close | |
| Hasbrouck Brown | HC-71 | 2.51 | Close — difference visible side by side |
Closest Behr match to Fairfax Brown
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Horse | S-G-770 | 1.69 | Very close | |
| Earth Chicory | QE-16 | 1.81 | Very close | |
| Chocolate Sparkle | 770B-7 | 2.08 | Close — difference visible side by side |
Similar Sherwin-Williams colors
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Java | SW 6090 | 2.74 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Sable | SW 6083 | 3.38 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Otter | SW 6041 | 3.77 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Dark Brown | SW 7520 | 3.92 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Vintage Leather | SW 6062 | 3.94 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Rookwood Dark Brown | SW 2808 | 4.26 | Similar, clearly different |
Lighter and darker versions
Colors from Sherwin-Williams with nearly the same hue and saturation, one step lighter or darker.
- Best Bronze SW 6160 · lighter, LRV 8.5
- Kaffee SW 6104 · lighter, LRV 8.8
- Pier SW 7545 · lighter, LRV 9.1
- Otter SW 6041 · darker, LRV 6.3
- Carnelian SW 7580 · darker, LRV 5.8
- Fiery Brown SW 6055 · darker, LRV 5.4
Colors that go with Fairfax Brown
Sherwin-Williams's own coordinating colors for Fairfax Brown:
- Roycroft Suede SW 2842
- Avocado SW 2861
Color-theory pairings — the nearest Sherwin-Williams color to each rotated hue, keeping the same lightness and saturation:
- Marea Baja SW 9185 · complementary (180°)
- Cordovan SW 6027 · analogous (−30°)
- Status Bronze SW 7034 · analogous (+30°)
- Hunt Club SW 6468 · triadic (120°)
- Majestic Purple SW 6545 · triadic (240°)
Fairfax Brown vs popular colors
- Mahogany (Benjamin Moore ES-60, ΔE 2.9) is about as light, more blue/cool, more green, more muted.
- Oxford Brown (Benjamin Moore ES-67, ΔE 6.6) is about as light, more blue/cool, more green, more muted.
- New London Burgundy (Benjamin Moore HC-61, ΔE 9.9) is lighter (LRV 9.8 vs 7.2), more blue/cool, more red/pink, more saturated.