Brilliant Amber
161 · #E39A50 · LRV 40 — warm red-orange tone, mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.
- 1Determined Orange22
- 2Caramelized35
- 3Brilliant Amber40
- 4Osage Orange45
- 5Colonial Yellow59
What Color Is Brilliant Amber, Really?
Brilliant Amber reads as a warm red-orange tone — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover how Benjamin Moore 161 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Brilliant Amber
Brilliant Amber is versatile enough for full rooms but has enough depth to anchor a space, so it suits living rooms, bedrooms and cabinetry alike. Earthy oranges and terracottas warm up dining rooms and entries.
How Lighting Changes Brilliant Amber
Brilliant Amber sits in the mid-range at LRV 40, so it shifts visibly through the day — lighter and more open in morning light, deeper and moodier after dark. Its orange 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. South-facing rooms will pull it lighter and warmer, while north light cools it down.
Most complaints about Brilliant Amber 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 Benjamin Moore 161 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 | Saffron ThreadSW 6663 · Sherwin-Williams | 0.9 | 39 | Color page → |
| Behr | Life Is GoodT18-05 · Behr | 3.2 | 40 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Toffee Cream3001-3B · Valspar | 2.3 | 38.5 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | CornucopiaPPG1203-7 · PPG / Glidden | 2.5 | 42 | Color page → |
| Glidden | CornucopiaPPG1203-7 · Glidden | 2.4 | 42 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Bombay Curry211-6DB · Dutch Boy | 4.4 | 39 | Color page → |
Similar Benjamin Moore Colors
The nearest shades to Brilliant Amber within Benjamin Moore'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 #E39A50 in HSL space. Pair Brilliant Amber with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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