Home › Sherwin-Williams › Yellow › Whole Wheat
Whole Wheat SW 6121
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, Whole Wheat sits at L* 74.9, a* 3.3, b* 21.0. Its hue angle is 81° and its chroma is 21.3, 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 48.1: mid-tone
Light Reflectance Value runs from 0 (absolute black) to 100 (perfect white). At 48.1, Whole Wheat is lighter than 60% of Sherwin-Williams colors. Reads clearly as a color. Best in rooms with good natural light, or as an accent wall; small dark rooms may feel smaller.
Closest Benjamin Moore match to Whole Wheat
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairway Oaks | 1075 | 1.35 | Very close | |
| Shelburne Buff | HC-28 | 2.01 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Stone House | 1039 | 2.04 | Close — difference visible side by side |
Closest Behr match to Whole Wheat
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Tan | PWL-84 | 0.61 | Practically identical | |
| Curious Collection | N290-4 | 1.58 | Very close | |
| Raffia Ribbon | PPU7-20 | 1.62 | Very close |
Similar Sherwin-Williams colors
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Safari | SW 7697 | 1.51 | Very close | |
| Ecru | SW 6135 | 1.87 | Very close | |
| Lamb's Wool | SW 9536 | 1.87 | Very close | |
| Harmonic Tan | SW 6136 | 2.11 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Quinoa | SW 9102 | 2.22 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Macadamia | SW 6142 | 2.23 | 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.
- Downing Sand SW 2822 · lighter, LRV 51.6
- Row House Tan SW 7689 · lighter, LRV 51.6
- Ramie SW 6156 · lighter, LRV 52.2
- Harmonic Tan SW 6136 · darker, LRV 45.0
- Sawgrass Basket SW 9121 · darker, LRV 44.8
- Koi Pond SW 7727 · darker, LRV 44.3
Colors that go with Whole Wheat
Sherwin-Williams's own coordinating colors for Whole Wheat:
- Believable Buff SW 6120
- Silvermist SW 7621
- Antique White SW 6119
Color-theory pairings — the nearest Sherwin-Williams color to each rotated hue, keeping the same lightness and saturation:
- Blue Beyond SW 6961 · complementary (180°)
- Smoky Salmon SW 6331 · analogous (−30°)
- Plymouth Green SW 2852 · analogous (+30°)
- Mariner SW 6766 · triadic (120°)
- Free Spirit SW 6973 · triadic (240°)
Whole Wheat vs popular colors
- Amazing Gray (Sherwin-Williams SW 7044, ΔE 8.6) is about as light, more blue/cool, more green, more muted.
- Accessible Beige (Sherwin-Williams SW 7036, ΔE 8.6) is lighter (LRV 57.7 vs 48.1), more blue/cool, more green, more muted.
- Concord Ivory (Benjamin Moore HC-12, ΔE 9.1) is lighter (LRV 60.0 vs 48.1), more yellow/warm, more green, more saturated.