Color spec
| Brand | Dutch Boy |
| Name | Fiddlehead Fern |
| SKU | 221-7DB |
| Hex | #917847 |
| RGB | 145, 120, 71 |
| HSL | 40°, 34%, 42% |
| LRV | 20 |
| Undertone | red-orange / warm |
| Family | Brown |
About Dutch Boy Fiddlehead Fern
With an LRV of 20, Fiddlehead Fern is a deep, dramatic shade. It soaks up light in north-facing rooms and looks richest where strong daylight hits it. 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. Warm artificial light softens it; cool LED can make it look flat, so match your bulbs to the mood you want.
Fiddlehead Fern 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.
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 brown from that brand.
PPG / Glidden
Kompozit
Dunn-Edwards
Diamond Vogel
Sherwin-Williams
Benjamin Moore
Valspar
Behr
C2 Paint
Magnolia Home
Farrow & Ball
Backdrop
Clare
Similar Dutch Boy colors
closest in the Dutch Boy deckThe nearest shades to Fiddlehead Fern within Dutch Boy'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 #917847 in HSL space. Pair Fiddlehead Fern 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.
Dutch Boy Fiddlehead Fern Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Fiddlehead Fern 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 Dutch Boy 221-7DB directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Fiddlehead Fern
The closest PPG / Glidden equivalent of Fiddlehead Fern is Wool Tweed (PPG1103-6). At ΔE 0.76 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same warm red-orange undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 20 vs 20). If PPG / Glidden is your counter, order Wool Tweed and you'll get the same color. See the full Wool Tweed swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Fiddlehead Fern
Kompozit's nearest match is September Gold (0312), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.54). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 19 vs 20) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Fiddlehead Fern without repainting risk. See the full September Gold swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Fiddlehead Fern
Dunn-Edwards's nearest match is Antique Penny (DEA167), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.91). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 19 vs 20) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Fiddlehead Fern without repainting risk. See the full Antique Penny swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Fiddlehead Fern
At Diamond Vogel, the closest color to Fiddlehead Fern is Brocade (0298) — very close at ΔE 2.06, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 20 vs 20) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Brocade swatch →
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Fiddlehead Fern
At Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Fiddlehead Fern is Bengal Grass (SW 6411) — very close at ΔE 2.07, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 19 vs 20) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Bengal Grass swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Fiddlehead Fern
At Benjamin Moore, the closest color to Fiddlehead Fern is Foot Hills (2148-10) — very close at ΔE 2.19, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 19 vs 20) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Foot Hills swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Fiddlehead Fern
At Valspar, the closest color to Fiddlehead Fern is Branching-Out Olive (V093-5) — very close at ΔE 2.35, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 19.9 vs 20) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Branching-Out Olive swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Fiddlehead Fern
At Behr, the closest color to Fiddlehead Fern is Westminster (N270-6) — very close at ΔE 2.6, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 19 vs 20) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Westminster swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Fiddlehead Fern
C2 Paint has no exact twin of Fiddlehead Fern. The nearest is Garam Masala (C2-631) at ΔE 3.82 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 20 vs 20). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Garam Masala swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Fiddlehead Fern
Magnolia Home doesn't make a true equivalent of Fiddlehead Fern — the nearest deck color, Remote Trail (JG-165), is clearly different (ΔE 5.38). For an exact match, any Magnolia Home retailer can custom-tint Dutch Boy 221-7DB instead. See the full Remote Trail swatch →
Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Fiddlehead Fern
Farrow & Ball doesn't make a true equivalent of Fiddlehead Fern — the nearest deck color, Dibber (NO. 312), is clearly different (ΔE 8.62). For an exact match, any Farrow & Ball retailer can custom-tint Dutch Boy 221-7DB instead. See the full Dibber swatch →
Backdrop Equivalent of Fiddlehead Fern
Backdrop doesn't make a true equivalent of Fiddlehead Fern — the nearest deck color, Old Soul (BD-OS), is clearly different (ΔE 9.82). For an exact match, any Backdrop retailer can custom-tint Dutch Boy 221-7DB instead. See the full Old Soul swatch →
Clare Equivalent of Fiddlehead Fern
Clare doesn't make a true equivalent of Fiddlehead Fern — the nearest deck color, Field Trip (PNT100-DP-66), is clearly different (ΔE 13.45). For an exact match, any Clare retailer can custom-tint Dutch Boy 221-7DB instead. See the full Field Trip swatch →