Flax
2098-50 · #C0A9A1 · LRV 42 — warm red tone, mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.
- 1Anonymous20
- 2Fawn Brindle36
- 3Flax42
- 4Agreeable Gray60
- 5Pale Oak69
What Color Is Flax, Really?
Flax reads as a warm red tone — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover how Benjamin Moore 2098-50 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Flax
Flax is versatile enough for full rooms but has enough depth to anchor a space, so it suits living rooms, bedrooms and cabinetry alike. Greige-leaning neutrals like this are the safe whole-home choice when you want warmth without committing to a color.
How Lighting Changes Flax
Flax sits in the mid-range at LRV 42, 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.
Most complaints about Flax 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 2098-50 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 | Chelsea MauveSW 2 · Sherwin-Williams | 3.8 | 43 | Color page → |
| Behr | Dusty RosewoodUL130-17 · Behr | 0.7 | 42 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Berry Frost1004-10A · Valspar | 1.6 | 41.5 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Taupe TapestryPPG1072-4 · PPG / Glidden | 2.7 | 42 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Council Bluff Tan90YR 43/101 · Glidden | 3.1 | 43 | Color page → |
| Dunn-Edwards | Crushed StoneDE6067 · Dunn-Edwards | 3.0 | 39 | Color page → |
Similar Benjamin Moore Colors
The nearest shades to Flax 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 #C0A9A1 in HSL space. Pair Flax with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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