Home › Sherwin-Williams › Yellow › Believable Buff
Believable Buff SW 6120
On-screen approximation from the published RGB value. Order a physical sample before you decide.
Undertone: Saturated yellow (a color, not a neutral)
In CIELAB, Believable Buff sits at L* 81.1, a* 2.2, b* 18.1. Its hue angle is 83° and its chroma is 18.2, so it reads as an outright yellow rather than a neutral. It classifies as warm. Among Sherwin-Williams colors with a similar LRV (±5), it is warmer (more yellow) than 77%.
LRV 58.5: light
Light Reflectance Value runs from 0 (absolute black) to 100 (perfect white). At 58.5, Believable Buff is lighter than 70% of Sherwin-Williams colors. The most forgiving range for whole-house walls. Keeps rooms bright without glare.
Closest Benjamin Moore match to Believable Buff
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond Bisque | HC-177 | 0.72 | Practically identical | |
| Alpaca | 1074 | 0.88 | Practically identical | |
| Squire Hill Buff | 1068 | 1.07 | Very close |
Closest Behr match to Believable Buff
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Khaki | ECC-54-1 | 0.84 | Practically identical | |
| Almond Butter | MQ2-23 | 0.85 | Practically identical | |
| Pita Bread | PWL-82 | 1.02 | Very close |
Similar Sherwin-Williams colors
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toasted Pine Nut | SW 7696 | 0.78 | Practically identical | |
| Croissant | SW 7716 | 1.13 | Very close | |
| Sundew | SW 7688 | 1.46 | Very close | |
| Buckram Binding | SW 0036 | 1.59 | Very close | |
| Ivoire | SW 6127 | 1.99 | Very close | |
| Tres Naturale | SW 9101 | 2.06 | Close — difference visible side by side |
Lighter and darker versions
Colors from Sherwin-Williams with nearly the same hue and saturation, one step lighter or darker.
- Sundew SW 7688 · lighter, LRV 62.9
- Warm Oats SW 9511 · lighter, LRV 62.6
- Rivers Edge SW 7517 · lighter, LRV 62.9
- Threaded Loom SW 9512 · darker, LRV 54.5
- Beachcomber SW 9617 · darker, LRV 54.7
- Urban Putty SW 7532 · darker, LRV 53.9
Colors that go with Believable Buff
Sherwin-Williams's own coordinating colors for Believable Buff:
- Tea Light SW 7681
- Spiced Cider SW 7702
- Antique White SW 6119
Color-theory pairings — the nearest Sherwin-Williams color to each rotated hue, keeping the same lightness and saturation:
- Bewitching Blue SW 6960 · complementary (180°)
- Warming Peach SW 6338 · analogous (−30°)
- Baize Green SW 6429 · analogous (+30°)
- Bora Bora Shore SW 9045 · triadic (120°)
- Euphoric Lilac SW 6835 · triadic (240°)
Believable Buff vs popular colors
- Manchester Tan (Benjamin Moore HC-81, ΔE 5.3) is lighter (LRV 63.2 vs 58.5), more blue/cool, more green, more muted.
- Muslin (Benjamin Moore OC-12, ΔE 5.4) is lighter (LRV 66.5 vs 58.5), more blue/cool, more green, more muted.
- Philadelphia Cream (Benjamin Moore HC-30, ΔE 5.8) is lighter (LRV 69.1 vs 58.5), more yellow/warm, more green, more saturated.