Benjamin Moore Cougar Brown#9C8174 · LRV 25
Cougar Brown reads as a red / warm — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover the spec, what Benjamin Moore 2106-40 actually looks like under different light, and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Color spec
| Brand | Benjamin Moore |
| Name | Cougar Brown |
| SKU | 2106-40 |
| Hex | #9C8174 |
| RGB | 156, 129, 116 |
| HSL | 19°, 17%, 53% |
| LRV | 25 |
| Undertone | red / warm |
| Family | Brown |
About Benjamin Moore Cougar Brown
Cougar Brown sits in the mid-range at LRV 25, so it shifts visibly through the day — lighter and more open in morning light, deeper and moodier after dark. 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. South-facing rooms will pull it lighter and warmer, while north light cools it down.
Cougar Brown is versatile enough for full rooms but has enough depth to anchor a space, so it suits living rooms, bedrooms and cabinetry alike. Browns ground a room and pair naturally with leather, wood and warm metals.
Kompozit alternative
The closest hex in the Kompozit deck, ranked by ΔE2000 (perceptual color difference). ΔE under 2 is indistinguishable to most eyes; under 5 is a very close visual match.
Closest matches at every US brand
9 brands · top 5 each5 closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all brown from that brand.
Dunn-Edwards
Valspar
Sherwin-Williams
PPG / Glidden
Behr
Farrow & Ball
Clare
Backdrop
Magnolia Home
Similar Benjamin Moore colors
closest in the Benjamin Moore deckThe nearest shades to Cougar 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 #9C8174 in HSL space. Pair Cougar 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.