Tavern Charcoal
CW-90 · #524F44 · LRV 10 — warm yellow tone, dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.
- 1Hunter Green5
- 2Tavern Charcoal10
- 3Sage Green22
- 4Evergreen Fog30
What Color Is Tavern Charcoal, Really?
Tavern Charcoal reads as a warm yellow tone — dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs. The notes below cover how Benjamin Moore CW-90 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Tavern Charcoal
Tavern Charcoal works best as a feature — a single wall, built-ins, a study or dining room — rather than wrapping a whole bright space. Greens bridge indoors and out, so they suit living rooms, kitchens and sunrooms.
How Lighting Changes Tavern Charcoal
With an LRV of 10, Tavern Charcoal 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.
Most complaints about Tavern Charcoal 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 CW-90 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 | NocturneSW 9520 · Sherwin-Williams | 1.8 | 8 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Turkish Coffee6003-2C · Valspar | 2.6 | 7.4 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | LicoricePPG1009-7 · PPG / Glidden | 2.8 | 8 | Color page → |
| Glidden | LicoricePPG1009-7 · Glidden | 2.8 | 8 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Deeply Rooted421-7DB · Dutch Boy | 3.6 | 7 | Color page → |
| HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams | Shade-GrownHGSW 3261 · HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams | 3.5 | 8 | Color page → |
Similar Benjamin Moore Colors
The nearest shades to Tavern Charcoal 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 #524F44 in HSL space. Pair Tavern Charcoal with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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