Molasses
DE6399 · #574A47 · LRV 7 — warm red tone, very dark — reads black in most rooms.
- 1Weathervane2
- 2Molasses7
- 3Porpoise13
- 4Cavern Clay20
What Color Is Molasses, Really?
Molasses reads as a warm red tone — very dark — reads black in most rooms. The notes below cover how Dunn-Edwards DE6399 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Molasses
Molasses earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Browns ground a room and pair naturally with leather, wood and warm metals.
How Lighting Changes Molasses
At LRV 7, Molasses 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 red 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 Molasses 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 DE6399 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 | Chateau BrownSW 7510 · Sherwin-Williams | 2.4 | 8 | Color page → |
| Behr | Bear RugS-G-790 · Behr | 2.3 | 7 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Brown Sugar2112-20 · Benjamin Moore | 2.4 | 8 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Bittersweet Molasses8005-12G · Valspar | 3.3 | 8 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Black WalnutPPG1014-7 · PPG / Glidden | 1.9 | 7 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Black WalnutPPG1014-7 · Glidden | 2.1 | 7 | Color page → |
Similar Dunn-Edwards Colors
The nearest shades to Molasses 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 #574A47 in HSL space. Pair Molasses with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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