Color guide · Annie Sloan · Red

Emperors Silk

Emperors Silk · #B23847 · LRV 13 · warm red tone

Emperors Silk · #B23847 · LRV 13 — warm red tone, dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.

Emperors SilkAnnie Sloan · Emperors Silk
The color, edge to edge.Use your own photo →
Emperors Silk
ANNIE SLOAN · Emperors Silk · #B23847
Brand · codeAnnie SloanEmperors Silk · all Annie Sloan reds
LRV13Dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.
Undertonewarm red tone
FamilyRed
Hex · RGB · HSL#B23847 · 178, 56, 71 · 353°, 52%, 46%Display values from the brand. Match it at another brand
Sheen we recommendEggshell on walls · satin on trim and cabinetsWhich sheen where, explained
Where it sits, light to dark
  1. 1Rookwood Dark Red3
  2. 2Rumors8
  3. 3Emperors Silk13
  4. 4Cinnamon Slate19
  5. 5Rejuvenate30
Undertone and depth

What Color Is Emperors Silk, Really?

Emperors Silk reads as a warm red tone — dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs. The notes below cover how Annie Sloan Emperors Silk behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.

Room by room

Best Rooms and Uses for Emperors Silk

Emperors Silk works best as a feature — a single wall, built-ins, a study or dining room — rather than wrapping a whole bright space. Reds bring energy and appetite, classic in dining rooms and front doors.

Light by light

How Lighting Changes Emperors Silk

With an LRV of 13, Emperors Silk is a deep, dramatic shade. It soaks up light in north-facing rooms and looks richest where strong daylight hits it. Its red undertone is the part to watch: it gets picked up by whatever sits next to it, so test it against your trim, floor and the room's main light before committing. Warm artificial light softens it; cool LED can make it look flat, so match your bulbs to the mood you want.

Test it in your light, not a showroom's

Most complaints about Emperors Silk are a light mismatch. Upload a photo of your actual room and see it on your walls — then ask for the same wall in north light or evening lamps before you buy a single sample.

Upload a photoPainted in about a minuteFree, no account
Visualize in your room
Same color, different store

Need It From Another Brand?

Any paint counter can custom-tint Annie Sloan Emperors Silk directly. If you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches, measured as ΔE2000. Under 2 is a difference you will not see on the wall.

Same deck, next chip over

Similar Annie Sloan Colors

The nearest shades to Emperors Silk within Annie Sloan's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.

Contrast, for text and signage
Black text on Emperors Silk · 3.5 : 1 · large text onlyWhite text on Emperors Silk · 5.9 : 1 · passes AA

WCAG 2.1: AA is 4.5 : 1 for normal text, 3 : 1 for large text, AAA is 7 : 1.

Coordinated palette

Generated by hue-rotating #B23847 in HSL space. Pair Emperors Silk with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#B23847 + #38B2A3
TRIADIC
#B23847 · #47B238 · #3847B2
ANALOGOUS
#B23884 · #B23847 · #B26638

Have you painted with Emperors Silk?

Rate it — one tap helps the next reader decide.

Ask a Question

Jessica Williams

Not sure about Emperors Silk in your room?

Ask Jessica below — every question gets a real reply, usually within a day.

Keep exploring