CP
DUNN-EDWARDS · DESS22

Dunn-Edwards Raw Balsa Wood#C8C0A6 · LRV 52

Raw Balsa Wood reads as a yellow / warm — light — bounces daylight without going clinical. The notes below cover the spec, what Dunn-Edwards DESS22 actually looks like under different light, and the closest matches at competing US brands.

DUNN-EDWARDS RAW BALSA WOOD
RGB 200, 192, 166 LRV 52

Color spec

Brand Dunn-Edwards
Name Raw Balsa Wood
SKU DESS22
Hex #C8C0A6
RGB 200, 192, 166
HSL 46°, 24%, 72%
LRV 52
Undertone yellow / warm
Family Neutral

About Dunn-Edwards Raw Balsa Wood

At LRV 52, Raw Balsa Wood is a light color that bounces daylight around a room without tipping into stark white. Its yellow 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. It holds its undertone in most exposures, which is what makes light shades like this so forgiving room to room.

Raw Balsa Wood is an easy whole-room color for living spaces and bedrooms, and light enough to carry onto trim or a ceiling if you want a soft, seamless look. Greige-leaning neutrals like this are the safe whole-home choice when you want warmth without committing to a color.

Closest matches at every US brand

13 brands · top 5 each

5 closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all neutral from that brand.

Kompozit

1,321 colors in deck · best ΔE 0.93
All neutral at Kompozit →
0378 · #C7C1A8 · ΔE 0.93 · LRV 53
0358 · #C7C0A9 · ΔE 1.03 · LRV 53
0344 · #C8BDA4 · ΔE 1.7 · LRV 51
0420 · #C3BFAE · ΔE 3.37 · LRV 52
0183 · #CCBCA9 · ΔE 5.57 · LRV 52

Benjamin Moore

3,934 colors in deck · best ΔE 0.96
All neutral at Benjamin Moore →
CSP-1035 · #CAC0A6 · ΔE 0.96 · LRV 53
HC-80 · #CDC0A8 · ΔE 2.76 · LRV 52
1509 · #C5C3AE · ΔE 3.02 · LRV 53
CC-606 · #C5C3AE · ΔE 3.02 · LRV 53
HC-92 · #CEBEA0 · ΔE 3.49 · LRV 52

Diamond Vogel

1,386 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.13
All neutral at Diamond Vogel →
0344 · #C9BFA6 · ΔE 1.13 · LRV 53
0350 · #C5BCA3 · ΔE 1.18 · LRV 50
0378 · #CAC4AC · ΔE 1.4 · LRV 55
H106 · #CBC2AF · ΔE 2.91 · LRV 53
0274 · #D1BFA1 · ΔE 4.32 · LRV 54

C2 Paint

580 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.22
All neutral at C2 Paint →
C2-910 · #C4BCA4 · ΔE 1.22 · LRV 50
BD78 · #C8C1A4 · ΔE 1.23 · LRV 53
C2-929 · #C6C2AC · ΔE 2.09 · LRV 54
C2-799 · #CEBFA4 · ΔE 3.2 · LRV 53
C2-800 · #CEC0A9 · ΔE 3.47 · LRV 54

Valspar

2,858 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.29
All neutral at Valspar →
8003-27C · #C4BCA0 · ΔE 1.29 · LRV 50
8004-23B · #CAC2AD · ΔE 1.93 · LRV 54
6006-3C · #C7BF9E · ΔE 2.32 · LRV 52
8004-22C · #CDC09F · ΔE 2.7 · LRV 53
3007-10B · #D1BEA1 · ΔE 4.81 · LRV 53

Farrow & Ball

209 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.3
All neutral at Farrow & Ball →
NO. 10 · #C7BDA4 · ΔE 1.3 · LRV 51
NO. 15 · #C6C0AA · ΔE 1.47 · LRV 53
NO. 4 · #C7BFAB · ΔE 2.21 · LRV 52
NO. 9 · #CDC0A0 · ΔE 2.53 · LRV 53
NO. 211 · #C9BFAB · ΔE 2.72 · LRV 53

Behr

5,644 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.37
All neutral at Behr →
ECC-64-1 · #C7BEA7 · ΔE 1.37 · LRV 52
PWL-91 · #C9BFA8 · ΔE 1.67 · LRV 53
710C-3 · #CBC3A4 · ΔE 1.78 · LRV 54
PPU9-19 · #C6C1AC · ΔE 1.97 · LRV 53
PPU8-10 · #CDBEA3 · ΔE 3.21 · LRV 52

PPG / Glidden

2,132 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.04
All neutral at PPG / Glidden →
PPG14-26 · #C8BFAA · ΔE 2.04 · LRV 52
PPG1101-3 · #CEC1A5 · ΔE 2.27 · LRV 54
PPG1113-3 · #C5C1A3 · ΔE 2.51 · LRV 53
PPG1097-4 · #C8BBA3 · ΔE 2.93 · LRV 50
PPG15-25 · #C8BCAA · ΔE 4.27 · LRV 51
SW 9512 · #CEC2AA · ΔE 2.4 · LRV 54
SW 7542 · #CBC0AD · ΔE 3.47 · LRV 54
SW 6156 · #CDBDA2 · ΔE 3.69 · LRV 52
SW 2822 · #CBBCA5 · ΔE 3.97 · LRV 52
SW 7547 · #CBBFAD · ΔE 4.21 · LRV 53

Dutch Boy

1,340 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.71
All neutral at Dutch Boy →
416-1DB · #CFC1A5 · ΔE 2.71 · LRV 54
419-3DB · #C8BBA3 · ΔE 2.93 · LRV 50
421-2DB · #C7BCA8 · ΔE 3.17 · LRV 51
420-2DB · #CBC0AD · ΔE 3.47 · LRV 54
418-1DB · #CDBD9F · ΔE 3.52 · LRV 52

Magnolia Home

160 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.78
All neutral at Magnolia Home →
JG-48 · #C2BFA2 · ΔE 2.78 · LRV 51
JG-109 · #C5BBAC · ΔE 4.86 · LRV 50
JG-50 · #C3C198 · ΔE 5.58 · LRV 52
JG-56 · #BEC3B2 · ΔE 6.27 · LRV 53
JG-133 · #C6BBB2 · ΔE 7.94 · LRV 51

Backdrop

30 colors in deck · best ΔE 5.08
All neutral at Backdrop →
BD-RR · #D6CFBE · ΔE 5.08 · LRV 65
BD-EA · #E5C580 · ΔE 11.93 · LRV 60
BD-AU · #E5C8B7 · ΔE 11.99 · LRV 60
BD-BG · #E5BEB0 · ΔE 15.85 · LRV 53
BD-UD · #A4B5BB · ΔE 16.32 · LRV 41

Clare

78 colors in deck · best ΔE 6.11
All neutral at Clare →
PNT100-MD-48 · #B5B9A6 · ΔE 6.11 · LRV 47
PNT100-LT-70 · #C9CDB9 · ΔE 6.16 · LRV 60
PNT100-MD-47 · #C4CEBD · ΔE 8.53 · LRV 60
PNT100-LT-13 · #C2B8B2 · ΔE 9.31 · LRV 49
PNT100-LT-09 · #C1C3C0 · ΔE 9.65 · LRV 54

Similar Dunn-Edwards colors

closest in the Dunn-Edwards deck

The nearest shades to Raw Balsa 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.

DE6234 · LRV 49
DEBN67 · LRV 54
DET637 · LRV 51
DE6172 · LRV 49
DEC775 · LRV 50
DEC752 · LRV 49

Coordinated palette

Generated by hue-rotating #C8C0A6 in HSL space. Pair Raw Balsa Wood with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#C8C0A6 + #A6AEC8
TRIADIC
#C8C0A6 · #A6C8C0 · #C0A6C8
ANALOGOUS
#C8AFA6 · #C8C0A6 · #BFC8A6

Accessibility (WCAG contrast)

Sample text on white
1.82:1 fail
Sample text on black
11.55:1 AAA

WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.

Dunn-Edwards Raw Balsa Wood Equivalents at Other Brands

Matching Raw Balsa Wood 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 Dunn-Edwards DESS22 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.

Kompozit Equivalent of Raw Balsa Wood

The closest Kompozit equivalent of Raw Balsa Wood is Garden Hedge (0378). At ΔE 0.93 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same warm yellow undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 53 vs 52). If Kompozit is your counter, order Garden Hedge and you'll get the same color. See the full Garden Hedge swatch →

Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Raw Balsa Wood

The closest Benjamin Moore equivalent of Raw Balsa Wood is Make Believe (CSP-1035). At ΔE 0.96 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same warm red-orange undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 53 vs 52). If Benjamin Moore is your counter, order Make Believe and you'll get the same color. See the full Make Believe swatch →

Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Raw Balsa Wood

Diamond Vogel's nearest match is Courtyard (0344), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.13). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 53 vs 52) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Raw Balsa Wood without repainting risk. See the full Courtyard swatch →

C2 Paint Equivalent of Raw Balsa Wood

C2 Paint's nearest match is Lamb's Ear (BD78), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.23). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 53 vs 52) and carries a warm yellow undertone, so it substitutes for Raw Balsa Wood without repainting risk. See the full Lamb's Ear swatch →

Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Raw Balsa Wood

Farrow & Ball's nearest match is Bone (NO. 15), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.47). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 53 vs 52) and carries a warm yellow undertone, so it substitutes for Raw Balsa Wood without repainting risk. See the full Bone swatch →

Behr Equivalent of Raw Balsa Wood

Behr's nearest match is Pale Bamboo (PWL-91), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.67). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 53 vs 52) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Raw Balsa Wood without repainting risk. See the full Pale Bamboo swatch →

Valspar Equivalent of Raw Balsa Wood

Valspar's nearest match is Snake Charmer (8004-23B), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.93). It runs slightly lighter (LRV 54 vs 52) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Raw Balsa Wood without repainting risk. See the full Snake Charmer swatch →

PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Raw Balsa Wood

At PPG / Glidden, the closest color to Raw Balsa Wood is Hideaway (PPG14-26) — very close at ΔE 2.04, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 52 vs 52) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Hideaway swatch →

Dutch Boy Equivalent of Raw Balsa Wood

At Dutch Boy, the closest color to Raw Balsa Wood is Beachwalk (416-1DB) — very close at ΔE 2.71, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 54 vs 52) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Beachwalk swatch →

Magnolia Home Equivalent of Raw Balsa Wood

At Magnolia Home, the closest color to Raw Balsa Wood is Gold Moss (JG-48) — very close at ΔE 2.78, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 51 vs 52) and carries a warm yellow undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Gold Moss swatch →

Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Raw Balsa Wood

Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Raw Balsa Wood. The nearest is Ramie (SW 6156) at ΔE 3.69 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 52 vs 52). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Ramie swatch →

Clare Equivalent of Raw Balsa Wood

Clare doesn't make a true equivalent of Raw Balsa Wood — the nearest deck color, Greige (PNT100-LT-13), is clearly different (ΔE 9.31). For an exact match, any Clare retailer can custom-tint Dunn-Edwards DESS22 instead. See the full Greige swatch →

Backdrop Equivalent of Raw Balsa Wood

Backdrop doesn't make a true equivalent of Raw Balsa Wood — the nearest deck color, Boy Meets Girl (BD-BG), is clearly different (ΔE 15.85). For an exact match, any Backdrop retailer can custom-tint Dunn-Edwards DESS22 instead. See the full Boy Meets Girl swatch →

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