Color spec
| Brand | Benjamin Moore |
| Name | Sterling Forest |
| SKU | 518 |
| Hex | #6D684E |
| RGB | 109, 104, 78 |
| HSL | 50°, 17%, 37% |
| LRV | 14 |
| Undertone | warm yellow tone |
| Family | Neutral |
About Benjamin Moore Sterling Forest
With an LRV of 14, Sterling Forest is a deep, dramatic shade. It soaks up light in north-facing rooms and looks richest where strong daylight hits it. Its yellow 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.
Sterling Forest works best as a feature — a single wall, built-ins, a study or dining room — rather than wrapping a whole bright space. Greige-leaning neutrals like this are the safe whole-home choice when you want warmth without committing to a color.
Closest matches by brand
16 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 neutral from that brand.
Sherwin-Williams
Behr
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Magnolia Home
Farrow & Ball
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Rodda
C2 Paint
Annie Sloan
Kompozit
Similar Benjamin Moore colors
closest in the Benjamin Moore deckThe nearest shades to Sterling Forest 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 #6D684E in HSL space. Pair Sterling Forest 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 Sterling Forest Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Sterling Forest 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 518 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Sterling Forest
Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Sterling Forest. The nearest is Oakmoss (SW 6180) at ΔE 4.13 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 13 vs 14). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Oakmoss swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Sterling Forest
At Behr, the closest color to Sterling Forest is Butternut Wood (710D-6) — very close at ΔE 2.39, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 14 vs 14) and carries a warm yellow undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Butternut Wood swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Sterling Forest
Valspar's nearest match is Thai Basil (8004-26F), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.53). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 14 vs 14) and carries a warm yellow undertone, so it substitutes for Sterling Forest without repainting risk. See the full Thai Basil swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Sterling Forest
At PPG / Glidden, the closest color to Sterling Forest is Russian Olive (PPG1112-7) — very close at ΔE 3.21, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 14 vs 14) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Russian Olive swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Sterling Forest
Glidden's nearest match is Olive Orchard (PPG11-08), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.62). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 14 vs 14) and carries a warm yellow undertone, so it substitutes for Sterling Forest without repainting risk. See the full Olive Orchard swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Sterling Forest
Dutch Boy's nearest match is Ol' Moss Green (223-7DB), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.14). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 13 vs 14) and carries a warm yellow undertone, so it substitutes for Sterling Forest without repainting risk. See the full Ol' Moss Green swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Sterling Forest
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Sterling Forest. The nearest is Germinating Green (HGSW 3242) at ΔE 4.13 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 13 vs 14). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Germinating Green swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Sterling Forest
Dunn-Edwards's nearest match is Spruce Woods (DE6238), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.1). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 13 vs 14) and carries a warm yellow undertone, so it substitutes for Sterling Forest without repainting risk. See the full Spruce Woods swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Sterling Forest
At Magnolia Home, the closest color to Sterling Forest is Landscape (JG-49) — very close at ΔE 2.78, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 15 vs 14) and carries a warm yellow undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Landscape swatch →
Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Sterling Forest
Farrow & Ball has no exact twin of Sterling Forest. The nearest is Bancha (NO. 298) at ΔE 4.61 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 14 vs 14). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Bancha swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Sterling Forest
At Diamond Vogel, the closest color to Sterling Forest is Jungle Cover (0347) — very close at ΔE 2.47, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 14 vs 14) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Jungle Cover swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Sterling Forest
Hirshfield's's nearest match is Candle Wax (0374), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.39). It runs slightly lighter (LRV 16 vs 14) and carries a warm yellow undertone, so it substitutes for Sterling Forest without repainting risk. See the full Candle Wax swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Sterling Forest
At C2 Paint, the closest color to Sterling Forest is Posh (C2-934) — very close at ΔE 3.41, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 14 vs 14) and carries a warm yellow undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Posh swatch →
Annie Sloan Equivalent of Sterling Forest
At Annie Sloan, the closest color to Sterling Forest is Olive (OLIVE) — very close at ΔE 3.05, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 15 vs 14) and carries a warm yellow undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Olive swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Sterling Forest
Kompozit's nearest match is Candle Wax (0374), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.39). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 14 vs 14) and carries a warm yellow undertone, so it substitutes for Sterling Forest without repainting risk. See the full Candle Wax swatch →