Color spec
| Brand | Dunn-Edwards |
| Name | Tawny Owl |
| SKU | DET640 |
| Hex | #978B71 |
| RGB | 151, 139, 113 |
| HSL | 41°, 15%, 52% |
| LRV | 26 |
| Undertone | red-orange / warm |
| Family | Neutral |
About Dunn-Edwards Tawny Owl
Tawny Owl sits in the mid-range at LRV 26, so it shifts visibly through the day — lighter and more open in morning light, deeper and moodier after dark. Its orange 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. South-facing rooms will pull it lighter and warmer, while north light cools it down.
Tawny Owl is versatile enough for full rooms but has enough depth to anchor a space, so it suits living rooms, bedrooms and cabinetry alike. 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 each5 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.
Behr
C2 Paint
Sherwin-Williams
Benjamin Moore
Diamond Vogel
Farrow & Ball
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Kompozit
Dutch Boy
Magnolia Home
Clare
Backdrop
Similar Dunn-Edwards colors
closest in the Dunn-Edwards deckThe nearest shades to Tawny Owl 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 #978B71 in HSL space. Pair Tawny Owl 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.
Dunn-Edwards Tawny Owl Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Tawny Owl 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 DET640 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Behr Equivalent of Tawny Owl
Behr's nearest match is Urban Safari (PPU8-04), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.01). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 26 vs 26) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Tawny Owl without repainting risk. See the full Urban Safari swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Tawny Owl
C2 Paint's nearest match is Cumin (C2-888), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.11). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 27 vs 26) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Tawny Owl without repainting risk. See the full Cumin swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Tawny Owl
Diamond Vogel's nearest match is Northeast Trail (0346), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.75). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 27 vs 26) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Tawny Owl without repainting risk. See the full Northeast Trail swatch →
Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Tawny Owl
Farrow & Ball's nearest match is Drab (NO. 41), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.93). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 26 vs 26) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Tawny Owl without repainting risk. See the full Drab swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Tawny Owl
At Benjamin Moore, the closest color to Tawny Owl is Hancock Gray (HC-97) — very close at ΔE 2.12, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 27 vs 26) and carries a warm yellow undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Hancock Gray swatch →
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Tawny Owl
At Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Tawny Owl is Sawdust (SW 6158) — very close at ΔE 2.22, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 26 vs 26) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Sawdust swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Tawny Owl
At Valspar, the closest color to Tawny Owl is Sweet Carolina (5008-2A) — very close at ΔE 2.45, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 26.3 vs 26) and carries a warm yellow undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Sweet Carolina swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Tawny Owl
At Dutch Boy, the closest color to Tawny Owl is Stone Cottage (421-4DB) — very close at ΔE 2.63, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 28 vs 26) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Stone Cottage swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Tawny Owl
At PPG / Glidden, the closest color to Tawny Owl is Iced Cappuccino (PPG1099-6) — very close at ΔE 3.47, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 26 vs 26) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Iced Cappuccino swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Tawny Owl
Kompozit has no exact twin of Tawny Owl. The nearest is Burning Idea (0373) at ΔE 4.01 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 26 vs 26). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Burning Idea swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Tawny Owl
Magnolia Home doesn't make a true equivalent of Tawny Owl — the nearest deck color, Garden Party (JG-53), is clearly different (ΔE 5.01). For an exact match, any Magnolia Home retailer can custom-tint Dunn-Edwards DET640 instead. See the full Garden Party swatch →
Clare Equivalent of Tawny Owl
Clare doesn't make a true equivalent of Tawny Owl — the nearest deck color, Dirty Chai (PNT100-DP-52), is clearly different (ΔE 6.36). For an exact match, any Clare retailer can custom-tint Dunn-Edwards DET640 instead. See the full Dirty Chai swatch →
Backdrop Equivalent of Tawny Owl
Backdrop doesn't make a true equivalent of Tawny Owl — the nearest deck color, Hartford (BD-HF), is clearly different (ΔE 10.99). For an exact match, any Backdrop retailer can custom-tint Dunn-Edwards DET640 instead. See the full Hartford swatch →