Piano Brown
MQ1-43 · #5E4E4E · LRV 8 — warm red tone, very dark — reads black in most rooms.
- 1Rookwood Dark Red3
- 2Piano Brown8
- 3Million Dollar Red13
- 4Cinnamon Slate19
What Color Is Piano Brown, Really?
Piano Brown reads as a warm red tone — very dark — reads black in most rooms. The notes below cover how Behr MQ1-43 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Piano Brown
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. Reds bring energy and appetite, classic in dining rooms and front doors.
How Lighting Changes 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.
Most complaints about Piano Brown 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.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint Behr MQ1-43 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.
| Brand | Closest color | ΔE | LRV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherwin-Williams | MetropolisSW 9575 · Sherwin-Williams | 3.5 | 8 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Fresco Urbain1253 · Benjamin Moore | 1.7 | 9 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Sweet Currant1001-7A · Valspar | 3.5 | 7.8 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | MustangPPG1015-7 · PPG / Glidden | 2.2 | 8 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Chocolate PretzelPPG1017-7 · Glidden | 2.9 | 9 | Color page → |
| Dunn-Edwards | NomadDET697 · Dunn-Edwards | 2.4 | 8 | Color page → |
Similar Behr Colors
The 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.
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 #5E4E4E in HSL space. Pair Piano Brown with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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