Spice of Life
DET439 · #86493F · LRV 10 — warm red tone, dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.
- 1Mahogany0
- 2Turkish Coffee5
- 3Spice of Life10
- 4Cavern Clay20
- 5Redend Point30
What Color Is Spice of Life, Really?
Spice of Life reads as a warm red tone — dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs. The notes below cover how Dunn-Edwards DET439 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Spice of Life
Spice of Life works best as a feature — a single wall, built-ins, a study or dining room — rather than wrapping a whole bright space. Browns ground a room and pair naturally with leather, wood and warm metals.
How Lighting Changes Spice of Life
With an LRV of 10, Spice of Life is a deep, dramatic shade. It soaks up light in north-facing rooms and looks richest where strong daylight hits it. 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. Warm artificial light softens it; cool LED can make it look flat, so match your bulbs to the mood you want.
Most complaints about Spice of Life 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 DET439 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 | Flower PotSW 6334 · Sherwin-Williams | 3.0 | 10 | Color page → |
| Behr | Spiced RedQE-14 · Behr | 0.9 | 10 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Boston Brick2092-30 · Benjamin Moore | 0.7 | 12 | Color page → |
| Valspar | WatusiM152 · Valspar | 2.4 | 9.8 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Red ClayPPG16-32 · PPG / Glidden | 1.2 | 10 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Red ClayPPG16-32 · Glidden | 0.9 | 10 | Color page → |
Similar Dunn-Edwards Colors
The nearest shades to Spice of Life 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 #86493F in HSL space. Pair Spice of Life with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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