Color guide · Dunn-Edwards · Gray

Fossilized Wood

DESS35 · #5F666A · LRV 13 · cool blue tone

DESS35 · #5F666A · LRV 13 — cool blue tone, dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.

Fossilized WoodDunn-Edwards · DESS35
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Fossilized Wood
DUNN-EDWARDS · DESS35 · #5F666A
Brand · codeDunn-EdwardsDESS35 · all Dunn-Edwards grays
LRV13Dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.
Undertonecool blue tone
FamilyGray
Hex · RGB · HSL#5F666A · 95, 102, 106 · 202°, 5%, 39%Display values from the brand. Match it at another brand
Sheen we recommendEggshell on walls · satin on trim and cabinetsWhich sheen where, explained
Where it sits, light to dark
  1. 1Urbane Bronze8
  2. 2Fossilized Wood13
  3. 3Retreat21
  4. 4Stardew43
Undertone and depth

What Color Is Fossilized Wood, Really?

Fossilized Wood reads as a cool blue tone — dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs. The notes below cover how Dunn-Edwards DESS35 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.

Room by room

Best Rooms and Uses for Fossilized Wood

Fossilized Wood works best as a feature — a single wall, built-ins, a study or dining room — rather than wrapping a whole bright space. Grays like this read as a modern neutral and sit comfortably alongside both warm woods and cool metals.

Light by light

How Lighting Changes Fossilized Wood

With an LRV of 13, Fossilized Wood is a deep, dramatic shade. It soaks up light in north-facing rooms and looks richest where strong daylight hits it. Because it carries almost no measurable hue, it stays a true neutral and pairs cleanly with nearly any trim or floor. Warm artificial light softens it; cool LED can make it look flat, so match your bulbs to the mood you want.

Test it in your light, not a showroom's

Most complaints about Fossilized Wood 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.

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Same color, different store

Need It From Another Brand?

Any paint counter can custom-tint Dunn-Edwards DESS35 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.

Same deck, next chip over

Similar Dunn-Edwards Colors

The nearest shades to Fossilized Wood within Dunn-Edwards's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.

Contrast, for text and signage
Black text on Fossilized Wood · 3.6 : 1 · large text onlyWhite text on Fossilized Wood · 5.8 : 1 · passes AA

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 #5F666A in HSL space. Pair Fossilized Wood with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#5F666A + #6A635F
TRIADIC
#5F666A · #6A5F66 · #666A5F
ANALOGOUS
#5F6A69 · #5F666A · #5F616A

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Jessica Williams

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