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Dark Brown SW 7520
On-screen approximation from the published RGB value. Order a physical sample before you decide.
Undertone: Noticeable orange undertone
In CIELAB, Dark Brown sits at L* 36.7, a* 8.3, b* 12.3. Its hue angle is 56° and its chroma is 14.8, so it leans orange clearly enough to notice on a full wall. It classifies as warm. Among Sherwin-Williams colors with a similar LRV (±5), it is warmer (more yellow) than 72%.
LRV 9.3: very dark
Light Reflectance Value runs from 0 (absolute black) to 100 (perfect white). At 9.3, Dark Brown is lighter than 10% 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 Dark 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mocha Brown | 2107-20 | 1.46 | Very close | |
| Raisin | 1237 | 2.39 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Auberge | 2106-20 | 2.42 | Close — difference visible side by side |
Closest Behr match to Dark 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Well Bred Brown | MQ2-05 | 1.28 | Very close | |
| Authentic Brown | MQ2-05A | 1.28 | Very close | |
| Well Bred Brown | MQ2-5 | 1.28 | Very close |
Similar Sherwin-Williams colors
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rookwood Medium Brown | SW 2807 | 1.59 | Very close | |
| Bison | SW 1084 | 2.13 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Brevity Brown | SW 6068 | 2.44 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Sable | SW 6083 | 3.16 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Half-Caff | SW 9091 | 3.30 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Rookwood Dark Brown | SW 2808 | 3.57 | 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.
- Oak Leaf Brown SW 7054 · lighter, LRV 10.5
- Coconut Husk SW 6111 · lighter, LRV 10.7
- Nettle SW 9535 · lighter, LRV 10.6
- Rookwood Dark Brown SW 2808 · darker, LRV 8.1
- Half-Caff SW 9091 · darker, LRV 8.0
- Status Bronze SW 7034 · darker, LRV 8.0
Colors that go with Dark Brown
Sherwin-Williams's own coordinating colors for Dark Brown:
- Divine White SW 6105
- Iced Mocha SW 9092
- Downy SW 7002
Color-theory pairings — the nearest Sherwin-Williams color to each rotated hue, keeping the same lightness and saturation:
- Marea Baja SW 9185 · complementary (180°)
- River Rouge SW 6026 · analogous (−30°)
- Best Bronze SW 6160 · analogous (+30°)
- Billiard Green SW 0016 · triadic (120°)
- Ripe Berry SW 9689 · triadic (240°)
Dark Brown vs popular colors
- Mahogany (Benjamin Moore ES-60, ΔE 5.2) is darker (LRV 7.0 vs 9.3), more blue/cool, more muted.
- Oxford Brown (Benjamin Moore ES-67, ΔE 8.0) is darker (LRV 5.9 vs 9.3), more blue/cool, more green, more muted.
- Urbane Bronze (Sherwin-Williams SW 7048, ΔE 10.3) is about as light, more blue/cool, more green, more muted.