Color guide · Dutch Boy · Neutral

Ball of Twine

412-3DB · #CAB3A0 · LRV 47 · warm red-orange tone

412-3DB · #CAB3A0 · LRV 47 — warm red-orange tone, mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.

Ball of TwineDutch Boy · 412-3DB
The color, edge to edge.Use your own photo →
Ball of Twine
DUTCH BOY · 412-3DB · #CAB3A0
Brand · codeDutch Boy412-3DB · all Dutch Boy neutrals
LRV47Mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.
Undertonewarm red-orange tone
FamilyNeutral
Hex · RGB · HSL#CAB3A0 · 202, 179, 160 · 27°, 28%, 71%Display values from the brand. Match it at another brand
Sheen we recommendEggshell on walls · satin on trim and cabinetsWhich sheen where, explained
Where it sits, light to dark
  1. 1Anonymous20
  2. 2Dorian Gray39
  3. 3Ball of Twine47
  4. 4Agreeable Gray60
  5. 5Pale Oak69
Undertone and depth

What Color Is Ball of Twine, Really?

Ball of Twine reads as a warm red-orange tone — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover how Dutch Boy 412-3DB behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.

Room by room

Best Rooms and Uses for Ball of Twine

Ball of Twine 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.

Light by light

How Lighting Changes Ball of Twine

Ball of Twine sits in the mid-range at LRV 47, 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.

Test it in your light, not a showroom's

Most complaints about Ball of Twine 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.

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Same color, different store

Need It From Another Brand?

Any paint counter can custom-tint Dutch Boy 412-3DB 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.

Same deck, next chip over

Similar Dutch Boy Colors

The nearest shades to Ball of Twine within Dutch Boy's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.

Contrast, for text and signage
Black text on Ball of Twine · 10.5 : 1 · passes AA and AAAWhite text on Ball of Twine · 2 : 1 · fails for text

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 #CAB3A0 in HSL space. Pair Ball of Twine with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#CAB3A0 + #A0B7CA
TRIADIC
#CAB3A0 · #A0CAB3 · #B3A0CA
ANALOGOUS
#CAA0A2 · #CAB3A0 · #CAC8A0

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Jessica Williams

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