Beeswax
DE5242 · #F0B073 · LRV 48 — warm red-orange tone, mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.
- 1Caramelized35
- 2Venetian Plaster42
- 3Beeswax48
- 4Amber53
- 5Colonial Yellow59
What Color Is Beeswax, Really?
Beeswax reads as a warm red-orange tone — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover how Dunn-Edwards DE5242 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Beeswax
Beeswax is versatile enough for full rooms but has enough depth to anchor a space, so it suits living rooms, bedrooms and cabinetry alike. Earthy oranges and terracottas warm up dining rooms and entries.
How Lighting Changes Beeswax
Beeswax sits in the mid-range at LRV 48, so it shifts visibly through the day — lighter and more open in morning light, deeper and moodier after dark. 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. South-facing rooms will pull it lighter and warmer, while north light cools it down.
Most complaints about Beeswax 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 Dunn-Edwards DE5242 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 | Exciting OrangeSW 6647 · Sherwin-Williams | 1.8 | 51 | Color page → |
| Behr | SunburstPPU6-03 · Behr | 2.8 | 51 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | August Morning2156-40 · Benjamin Moore | 3.4 | 50 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Spun Gold3001-5C · Valspar | 1.3 | 51.8 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Orange MarmaladePPG1197-5 · PPG / Glidden | 3.6 | 51 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Colorado Dawn90YR 49/382 · Glidden | 1.8 | 49 | Color page → |
Similar Dunn-Edwards Colors
The nearest shades to Beeswax within Dunn-Edwards'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 #F0B073 in HSL space. Pair Beeswax with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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