Color spec
| Brand | Behr |
| Name | Formal Maroon |
| SKU | PPU1-14 |
| Hex | #70474C |
| RGB | 112, 71, 76 |
| HSL | 353°, 22%, 36% |
| LRV | 8 |
| Undertone | warm red tone |
| Family | Brown |
About Behr Formal Maroon
At LRV 8, Formal Maroon is about as dark as paint gets — it reads near-black on a wall and reveals its character only in direct daylight or under warm bulbs. 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. In rooms with little natural light it can feel heavy, so reserve it for spaces you want to feel enveloping.
Formal Maroon earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Browns ground a room and pair naturally with leather, wood and warm metals.
Closest matches by brand
14 brands within ΔE 5The closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Only colors within ΔE 5 (close enough to substitute on a wall) are shown — brands with no real match are left off. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all brown from that brand.
Sherwin-Williams
Benjamin Moore
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dutch Boy
Dunn-Edwards
Farrow & Ball
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Rodda
C2 Paint
Clare
Kompozit
Similar Behr colors
closest in the Behr deckThe nearest shades to Formal Maroon within Behr's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #70474C in HSL space. Pair Formal Maroon with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
Accessibility (WCAG contrast)
WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.
Behr Formal Maroon Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Formal Maroon from a different paint counter? Below is the single closest color in each major US deck and how close it really is. Remember that any paint store can also custom-tint Behr PPU1-14 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Formal Maroon
Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Formal Maroon. The nearest is Carriage Door (SW 7594) at ΔE 4.6 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Carriage Door swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Formal Maroon
At Benjamin Moore, the closest color to Formal Maroon is Carter Plum (CW-355) — very close at ΔE 3.03, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 10 vs 8) and carries a warm red undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Carter Plum swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Formal Maroon
At Valspar, the closest color to Formal Maroon is Stoic (1010-6) — very close at ΔE 2.89, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7.2 vs 8) and carries a warm red undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Stoic swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Formal Maroon
PPG / Glidden's nearest match is Chianti (PPG13-06), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.45). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 8) and carries a warm red undertone, so it substitutes for Formal Maroon without repainting risk. See the full Chianti swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Formal Maroon
Glidden's nearest match is Chianti (PPG13-06), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.87). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 8) and carries a warm red undertone, so it substitutes for Formal Maroon without repainting risk. See the full Chianti swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Formal Maroon
At Dutch Boy, the closest color to Formal Maroon is Holiday Berry (303-7DB) — very close at ΔE 3.19, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8) and carries a warm red undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Holiday Berry swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Formal Maroon
Dunn-Edwards has no exact twin of Formal Maroon. The nearest is Dark Ruby (DE6028) at ΔE 4.61 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 8). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Dark Ruby swatch →
Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Formal Maroon
Farrow & Ball's nearest match is Preference Red (NO. 297), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.03). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8) and carries a warm red undertone, so it substitutes for Formal Maroon without repainting risk. See the full Preference Red swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Formal Maroon
At Diamond Vogel, the closest color to Formal Maroon is Earthly Pleasure (0102) — very close at ΔE 3.31, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8) and carries a warm red undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Earthly Pleasure swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Formal Maroon
Hirshfield's's nearest match is Madder (H0002), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.75). It runs slightly lighter (LRV 10 vs 8) and carries a warm red undertone, so it substitutes for Formal Maroon without repainting risk. See the full Madder swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Formal Maroon
Rodda has no exact twin of Formal Maroon. The nearest is Cerise (CA221) at ΔE 3.6 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Cerise swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Formal Maroon
C2 Paint's nearest match is Tallulah (C2-502), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.15). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8) and carries a warm red undertone, so it substitutes for Formal Maroon without repainting risk. See the full Tallulah swatch →
Clare Equivalent of Formal Maroon
Clare has no exact twin of Formal Maroon. The nearest is Vintage (PNT100-DP-67) at ΔE 4.09 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 10 vs 8). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Vintage swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Formal Maroon
Kompozit has no exact twin of Formal Maroon. The nearest is Berry Crush (0081) at ΔE 4.87 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Berry Crush swatch →