Willow
CC-542 · #564E48 · LRV 8 — warm red-orange tone, very dark — reads black in most rooms.
- 1Willow8
- 2Kendall Charcoal15
- 3Retreat21
What Color Is Willow, Really?
Willow reads as a warm red-orange tone — very dark — reads black in most rooms. The notes below cover how Benjamin Moore CC-542 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Willow
Willow earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Grays like this read as a modern neutral and sit comfortably alongside both warm woods and cool metals.
How Lighting Changes Willow
At LRV 8, Willow is about as dark as paint gets — it reads near-black on a wall and reveals its character only in direct daylight or under warm bulbs. 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. In rooms with little natural light it can feel heavy, so reserve it for spaces you want to feel enveloping.
Most complaints about Willow 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 CC-542 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 | Urbane BronzeSW 7048 · Sherwin-Williams | 2.4 | 8 | Color page → |
| Behr | Dark TrufflePPU5-19 · Behr | 2.1 | 8 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Bittersweet Molasses8005-12G · Valspar | 3.7 | 8 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | SarsaparillaPPG1018-7 · PPG / Glidden | 3.6 | 8 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Burnt Bark30YY 08/082 · Glidden | 2.9 | 8 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Deeply Rooted421-7DB · Dutch Boy | 4.3 | 7 | Color page → |
Similar Benjamin Moore Colors
The nearest shades to Willow 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 #564E48 in HSL space. Pair Willow with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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