Color spec
| Brand | Dunn-Edwards |
| Name | Sage Brush |
| SKU | DEC713 |
| Hex | #A4AB95 |
| RGB | 164, 171, 149 |
| HSL | 79°, 12%, 63% |
| LRV | 35 |
| Undertone | cool green tone |
| Family | Green |
What Color Is Sage Brush, Really?
Sage Brush (DEC713) is a soft, muted sage green. Dunn-Edwards files it under gray, and that tells you a lot: with only about 12 percent saturation, this is a very quiet green that sits close to neutral. The hue leans slightly yellow-green, so it reads as a natural, dusty sage rather than a bright or minty one.
Its LRV of 35 puts it squarely in the mid-tone range. It has real depth on a wall without going dark, reflecting a moderate amount of light and holding its color through most of the day.
Dunn-Edwards calls it their most-specified soft sage for Southern California modern rooms, and it earns that. It suits people who want color and calm at the same time, and it works in modern, transitional, farmhouse, and Spanish-style homes where a green needs to feel grounded rather than loud.
Sage Brush leans yellow-green, but only just. At roughly 12 percent saturation it is barely past near-neutral, so most of the time it reads as a soft, grayed sage rather than an obvious green. The gray in it is what keeps it from looking bright or springy.
Where the green shows most is on large, well-lit walls and next to clean whites, which make the color look more clearly green by contrast. Against warm beiges and woods, the yellow side of the hue comes forward and it feels earthier. In dim or north-facing spaces the color can flatten toward gray-green.
Before you commit, test Sage Brush next to a stark white trim and next to a warm off-white. That comparison shows you how green or how neutral it will actually read in your room, which matters more than the label.
Best Rooms and Uses for Sage Brush
At LRV 35, Sage Brush is versatile enough for full walls but has enough depth to feel intentional. It works well on bedroom, living room, and dining room walls where you want a restful color that is clearly not white. In smaller rooms like powder baths and offices it wraps the space without making it feel dark.
It is a strong cabinet color, especially in kitchens and laundry rooms, where a soft sage gives depth against white counters and warm wood. As trim it is too deep for most homes, so keep it on the larger surfaces and use a white for the trim.
Outside, Sage Brush suits siding, shutters, and front doors on modern, farmhouse, and Spanish-style homes. Its natural, grounded green blends with landscaping instead of fighting it.
How Lighting Changes Sage Brush
With an LRV of 35, Sage Brush is a mid-tone that responds strongly to light. In north-facing rooms, which get cool, indirect light all day, it deepens and the gray takes over, so it can look moodier and slightly cooler than the chip. South-facing rooms get warm, strong light that lifts the color and brings out its green and yellow side.
East light is cool and bright in the morning, then fades, so the color shifts through the day. West rooms stay muted in the morning and warm up dramatically in late afternoon.
Bulb choice matters just as much. Warm bulbs around 2700K push Sage Brush toward its earthy, yellow-green side and cozy it up. Cooler bulbs near 4000K keep it crisp and gray-green. Always look at a sample at several times of day before deciding.
Most complaints about Sage Brush 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.
TEST IT IN YOUR LIGHT →Sage Brush vs Similar Colors
Lichen Green (DET516, LRV 37) is Sage Brush's closest sibling and reads a touch greener and slightly lighter. If you want the sage to be a little more obviously green, choose Lichen Green; if you want it quieter and grayer, stay with Sage Brush.
Whale Watching (DET512, LRV 37) is grayer and more neutral. It is the safer pick when you are nervous about green reading too strongly, since it leans more toward soft gray-green.
River Birch (DEGR36, LRV 38) moves the other direction, toward warm greige. It has more brown in it and less green, so it works when you want something between a sage and a taupe. All three sit in the same LRV band, so the practical difference is undertone, not depth. Sample all three side by side on the actual wall.
Colors That Go With Sage Brush
For trim and ceilings, pair Sage Brush with a soft white like Whisper (DEW340, LRV 84) or the slightly warmer Swiss Coffee (DEW342, LRV 84). Both are high-LRV whites that frame the sage cleanly without a harsh contrast.
For a lighter second wall color or an adjacent room, Cool December (DEC754, LRV 60) is a gentle gray that keeps the palette in the same cool family, while Forever Linen (DEC756, LRV 60) adds a warmer, greige balance.
For accents and depth, Iron Mountain (DET637, LRV 11) makes a strong charcoal for an island, door, or built-ins. For a front door with more personality, Maiden Voyage (DEA178, LRV 8) is a deep blue that plays off the green. Warm wood tones and both brass and matte black hardware all sit comfortably with Sage Brush.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint Dunn-Edwards DEC713 directly — but if you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches:
Similar Dunn-Edwards colors
closest in the Dunn-Edwards deckThe nearest shades to Sage Brush within Dunn-Edwards's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #A4AB95 in HSL space. Pair Sage Brush with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
Accessibility (WCAG contrast)
WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.
The Questions Everyone Asks
Is Sage Brush warm or cool?
Sage Brush is a cool-leaning green, but a very muted one. Its hue is yellow-green, which adds a bit of earthiness, yet the low saturation and gray content keep it on the calm, cool side. In warm light it can feel earthier, and in cool north light it reads cooler and grayer. Overall it is a soft, balanced sage rather than a strongly warm or cool color.
Should I sample Sage Brush before painting?
Yes. Because Sage Brush is a muted mid-tone, it shifts noticeably between rooms and shows more green or more gray depending on light. Paint a large sample on more than one wall, or use a peel-and-stick swatch, and look at it in morning, afternoon, and lamplight. View it next to your trim white and flooring before you commit, since the color reads differently against warm and cool neighbors.
What trim white goes with Sage Brush?
Whisper (DEW340), a soft white with an LRV of 84, is a clean trim choice that frames Sage Brush without harshness. If you want a slightly warmer, creamier trim, Swiss Coffee (DEW342), also LRV 84, works well and softens the contrast. Both are high-LRV whites, so they keep the trim crisp against the mid-tone sage walls.
Does Sage Brush work on kitchen cabinets and exteriors?
Yes to both. On cabinets its LRV of 35 gives soft depth against white counters and warm wood, which is why it is popular in kitchens and laundry rooms. Outside, it suits siding, shutters, and front doors on modern, farmhouse, and Spanish-style homes, where its natural green blends with landscaping instead of standing out against it.
What does an LRV of 35 mean for Sage Brush?
LRV measures how much light a color reflects, on a scale from 0 (black) to 100 (pure white). At 35, Sage Brush is a mid-tone: it has real color depth without reading dark, and it reflects a moderate amount of light. Practically, it holds its color well through the day but still shifts noticeably between bright south light and dim north light.
How is Sage Brush different from Lichen Green?
Lichen Green (DET516) has an LRV of 37, so it is very slightly lighter, and it reads a touch greener than Sage Brush. Sage Brush is the quieter, grayer of the two. Choose Lichen Green when you want the sage to look more clearly green, and Sage Brush when you want it softer and closer to neutral. Sample both on your wall to see the difference.
Will It Work in YOUR Room?
No page can promise how Sage Brush behaves in your light. Upload a photo and see it on your own walls in seconds — before you spend a cent on samples.
TRY SAGE BRUSH ON YOUR ROOM →
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