Color spec
| Brand | Benjamin Moore |
| Name | Tawny |
| SKU | 2161-20 |
| Hex | #9F7247 |
| RGB | 159, 114, 71 |
| HSL | 29°, 38%, 45% |
| LRV | 20 |
| Undertone | warm red-orange tone |
| Family | Brown |
About Benjamin Moore Tawny
With an LRV of 20, Tawny is a deep, dramatic shade. It soaks up light in north-facing rooms and looks richest where strong daylight hits it. Its orange 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.
Tawny works best as a feature — a single wall, built-ins, a study or dining room — rather than wrapping a whole bright space. Browns ground a room and pair naturally with leather, wood and warm metals.
Closest matches by brand
14 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 brown from that brand.
Sherwin-Williams
Behr
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Farrow & Ball
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
C2 Paint
Portola Paints
Kompozit
Similar Benjamin Moore colors
closest in the Benjamin Moore deckThe nearest shades to Tawny 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 #9F7247 in HSL space. Pair Tawny 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 Tawny Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Tawny 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 2161-20 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Tawny
At Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Tawny is Renwick Golden Oak (SW 2824) — very close at ΔE 2.78, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 19 vs 20) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Renwick Golden Oak swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Tawny
Behr's nearest match is Smokey Topaz (260F-6), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.17). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 20 vs 20) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Tawny without repainting risk. See the full Smokey Topaz swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Tawny
Valspar has no exact twin of Tawny. The nearest is Fields of Glory (V092-5) at ΔE 3.81 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 21.3 vs 20). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Fields of Glory swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Tawny
PPG / Glidden's nearest match is Sahara Splendor (PPG1088-7), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.74). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 20 vs 20) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Tawny without repainting risk. See the full Sahara Splendor swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Tawny
At Glidden, the closest color to Tawny is Sahara Splendor (PPG1088-7) — very close at ΔE 2.05, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 20 vs 20) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Sahara Splendor swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Tawny
Dutch Boy has no exact twin of Tawny. The nearest is Bosc Pear Tree (215-7DB) at ΔE 4.03 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 21 vs 20). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Bosc Pear Tree swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Tawny
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Tawny. The nearest is Quirky Gold (HGSW 2161) at ΔE 4.03 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 21 vs 20). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Quirky Gold swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Tawny
The closest Dunn-Edwards equivalent of Tawny is Aged Whisky (DET686). At ΔE 0.57 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same warm red-orange undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 19 vs 20). If Dunn-Edwards is your counter, order Aged Whisky and you'll get the same color. See the full Aged Whisky swatch →
Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Tawny
Farrow & Ball has no exact twin of Tawny. The nearest is Marmelo (NO. 316) at ΔE 4.35 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 19 vs 20). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Marmelo swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Tawny
Diamond Vogel has no exact twin of Tawny. The nearest is Flickering Flame (1005) at ΔE 4.48 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 21 vs 20). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Flickering Flame swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Tawny
Hirshfield's's nearest match is English Bartlett (H0028), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.27). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 21 vs 20) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Tawny without repainting risk. See the full English Bartlett swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Tawny
C2 Paint has no exact twin of Tawny. The nearest is Buckaroo (C2-615) at ΔE 3.75 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 20 vs 20). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Buckaroo swatch →
Portola Paints Equivalent of Tawny
Portola Paints has no exact twin of Tawny. The nearest is Miel (MIEL) at ΔE 4.06 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 22 vs 20). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Miel swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Tawny
At Kompozit, the closest color to Tawny is Golden Glove (0171) — very close at ΔE 2.19, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 21 vs 20) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Golden Glove swatch →