Sonoma Clay
1242 · #CFB7B1 · LRV 50 — warm red tone, light — bounces daylight without going clinical.
- 1Razzle Dazzle20
- 2Retro Pink38
- 3Sonoma Clay50
- 4Pale Cherry Blossom61
- 5First Light76
What Color Is Sonoma Clay, Really?
Sonoma Clay reads as a warm red tone — light — bounces daylight without going clinical. The notes below cover how Benjamin Moore 1242 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Sonoma Clay
Sonoma Clay is an easy whole-room color for living spaces and bedrooms, and light enough to carry onto trim or a ceiling if you want a soft, seamless look. Soft pinks flatter bedrooms and nurseries; deeper ones make a confident statement.
How Lighting Changes Sonoma Clay
At LRV 50, Sonoma Clay is a light color that bounces daylight around a room without tipping into stark white. 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. It holds its undertone in most exposures, which is what makes light shades like this so forgiving room to room.
Most complaints about Sonoma Clay 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 1242 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 | Sashay SandSW 6051 · Sherwin-Williams | 2.8 | 49 | Color page → |
| Behr | Gray AshlarN170-3 · Behr | 4.0 | 51 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Dust Bunny2005-10B · Valspar | 4.6 | 50.7 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | SubduedPPG1015-4 · PPG / Glidden | 1.8 | 50 | Color page → |
| Glidden | SubduedPPG1015-4 · Glidden | 1.4 | 50 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Dusky Trail407-2DB · Dutch Boy | 0.7 | 52 | Color page → |
Similar Benjamin Moore Colors
The nearest shades to Sonoma Clay 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 #CFB7B1 in HSL space. Pair Sonoma Clay with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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