Color spec
| Brand | Behr |
| Name | Piano Brown |
| SKU | MQ1-43 |
| Hex | #5E4E4E |
| RGB | 94, 78, 78 |
| HSL | 0°, 9%, 34% |
| LRV | 8 |
| Undertone | warm red tone |
| Family | Brown |
About Behr Piano Brown
At LRV 8, Piano Brown 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.
Piano Brown 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
13 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
Dunn-Edwards
Magnolia Home
Farrow & Ball
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Rodda
C2 Paint
Kompozit
Similar Behr colors
closest in the Behr deckThe nearest shades to Piano Brown 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 #5E4E4E in HSL space. Pair Piano Brown 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 Piano Brown Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Piano Brown 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 MQ1-43 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Piano Brown
Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Piano Brown. The nearest is Metropolis (SW 9575) at ΔE 3.54 — 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 Metropolis swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Piano Brown
Benjamin Moore's nearest match is Fresco Urbain (1253), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.67). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 8) and carries a warm red undertone, so it substitutes for Piano Brown without repainting risk. See the full Fresco Urbain swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Piano Brown
Valspar has no exact twin of Piano Brown. The nearest is Sweet Currant (1001-7A) at ΔE 3.52 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7.8 vs 8). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Sweet Currant swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Piano Brown
At PPG / Glidden, the closest color to Piano Brown is Mustang (PPG1015-7) — very close at ΔE 2.16, 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 Mustang swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Piano Brown
At Glidden, the closest color to Piano Brown is Chocolate Pretzel (PPG1017-7) — very close at ΔE 2.9, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 8) and carries a warm red undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Chocolate Pretzel swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Piano Brown
At Dunn-Edwards, the closest color to Piano Brown is Nomad (DET697) — very close at ΔE 2.44, 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 Nomad swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Piano Brown
Diamond Vogel has no exact twin of Piano Brown. The nearest is Grape Soda (1222) at ΔE 4.77 — 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 Grape Soda swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Piano Brown
Hirshfield's has no exact twin of Piano Brown. The nearest is Gargoyle (0550) at ΔE 4.19 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 11 vs 8). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Gargoyle swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Piano Brown
At Rodda, the closest color to Piano Brown is Mission Fig (R120) — very close at ΔE 2.68, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 8) and carries a warm red undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Mission Fig swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Piano Brown
C2 Paint's nearest match is Death by Chocolate (C2-805), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.04). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8) and carries a warm red undertone, so it substitutes for Piano Brown without repainting risk. See the full Death by Chocolate swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Piano Brown
Kompozit has no exact twin of Piano Brown. The nearest is Gargoyle (0550) at ΔE 4.19 — 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 Gargoyle swatch →