Color spec
| Brand | Benjamin Moore |
| Name | Charleston Brown |
| SKU | HC-186 |
| Hex | #745239 |
| RGB | 116, 82, 57 |
| HSL | 25°, 34%, 34% |
| LRV | 10 |
| Undertone | warm red-orange tone |
| Family | Brown |
About Benjamin Moore Charleston Brown
With an LRV of 10, Charleston Brown is a deep, dramatic shade. It soaks up light in north-facing rooms and looks richest where strong daylight hits it. 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. Warm artificial light softens it; cool LED can make it look flat, so match your bulbs to the mood you want.
Charleston Brown works best as a feature — a single wall, built-ins, a study or dining room — rather than wrapping a whole bright space. 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
Behr
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Magnolia Home
Hirshfield's
Rodda
Backdrop
Kompozit
Similar Benjamin Moore colors
closest in the Benjamin Moore deckThe nearest shades to Charleston Brown within Benjamin Moore'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 #745239 in HSL space. Pair Charleston 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.
Benjamin Moore Charleston Brown Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Charleston 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 Benjamin Moore HC-186 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Charleston Brown
Sherwin-Williams's nearest match is Umber Rust (SW 9100), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.09). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 10) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Charleston Brown without repainting risk. See the full Umber Rust swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Charleston Brown
At Behr, the closest color to Charleston Brown is Tamarind Fruit (PMD-61) — very close at ΔE 2.31, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 10) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Tamarind Fruit swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Charleston Brown
At Valspar, the closest color to Charleston Brown is Leather & Lace (V088-6) — very close at ΔE 3, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10.1 vs 10) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Leather & Lace swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Charleston Brown
PPG / Glidden's nearest match is Molasses (PPG1079-7), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.92). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 11 vs 10) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Charleston Brown without repainting risk. See the full Molasses swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Charleston Brown
Glidden's nearest match is Molasses (PPG1079-7), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.92). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 11 vs 10) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Charleston Brown without repainting risk. See the full Molasses swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Charleston Brown
Dutch Boy has no exact twin of Charleston Brown. The nearest is Olde Metal (414-7DB) at ΔE 3.73 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 11 vs 10). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Olde Metal swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Charleston Brown
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams's nearest match is Zahara Brown (HGSW 3121), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.09). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 10) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Charleston Brown without repainting risk. See the full Zahara Brown swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Charleston Brown
At Dunn-Edwards, the closest color to Charleston Brown is Rich Mocha (DEA159) — very close at ΔE 3.34, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 10) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Rich Mocha swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Charleston Brown
At Hirshfield's, the closest color to Charleston Brown is Brownstone (H0133) — very close at ΔE 3.03, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 11 vs 10) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Brownstone swatch →
Backdrop Equivalent of Charleston Brown
Backdrop has no exact twin of Charleston Brown. The nearest is Buenos Aires (BD-BA) at ΔE 4.71 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 14 vs 10). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Buenos Aires swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Charleston Brown
Kompozit has no exact twin of Charleston Brown. The nearest is Coffee Shop (0151) at ΔE 4.84 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 10). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Coffee Shop swatch →