Color spec
| Brand | Dutch Boy |
| Name | Softened Yellow |
| SKU | 117-4DB |
| Hex | #F9DF8F |
| RGB | 249, 223, 143 |
| HSL | 45°, 90%, 77% |
| LRV | 75 |
| Undertone | warm yellow tone |
| Family | Yellow |
About Dutch Boy Softened Yellow
Softened Yellow is very light — LRV 75, close to white. It opens up small or dim rooms and keeps walls feeling airy. Its yellow 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. In north light it can read slightly cooler; a warm white trim alongside keeps it from going clinical.
Softened Yellow shines on ceilings, trim and in small or low-light rooms where you need to stretch the light — and as a calm whole-home backdrop. Yellows lift kitchens, hallways and kids' rooms with warmth.
Closest matches by brand
14 brands within ΔE 5The closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Only colors within ΔE 5 (close enough to substitute on a wall) are shown — brands with no real match are left off. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all yellow from that brand.
Sherwin-Williams
Behr
Benjamin Moore
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Magnolia Home
Farrow & Ball
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
C2 Paint
Kompozit
Similar Dutch Boy colors
closest in the Dutch Boy deckThe nearest shades to Softened Yellow 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 #F9DF8F in HSL space. Pair Softened Yellow 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 Softened Yellow Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Softened Yellow 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 117-4DB directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Softened Yellow
Sherwin-Williams's nearest match is Sunny Veranda (SW 9017), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.91). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 76 vs 75) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Softened Yellow without repainting risk. See the full Sunny Veranda swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Softened Yellow
Behr's nearest match is Honey Tone (360C-3), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.26). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 75 vs 75) and carries a warm yellow undertone, so it substitutes for Softened Yellow without repainting risk. See the full Honey Tone swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Softened Yellow
At Benjamin Moore, the closest color to Softened Yellow is Crowne Hill Yellow (312) — very close at ΔE 2.24, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly darker (LRV 70 vs 75) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Crowne Hill Yellow swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Softened Yellow
Valspar's nearest match is Late Day Sun (3006-4A), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.7). It runs slightly darker (LRV 72.7 vs 75) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Softened Yellow without repainting risk. See the full Late Day Sun swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Softened Yellow
At PPG / Glidden, the closest color to Softened Yellow is Twinkle Little Star (PPG1211-4) — very close at ΔE 2.16, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 80 vs 75) and carries a warm yellow undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Twinkle Little Star swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Softened Yellow
Glidden's nearest match is Buttered Sweet Corn (45YY 74/383), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.52). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 74 vs 75) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Softened Yellow without repainting risk. See the full Buttered Sweet Corn swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Softened Yellow
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams's nearest match is Outrigger (HGSW 1175), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.91). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 76 vs 75) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Softened Yellow without repainting risk. See the full Outrigger swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Softened Yellow
At Dunn-Edwards, the closest color to Softened Yellow is Beekeeper (DET499) — very close at ΔE 2.54, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 75 vs 75) and carries a warm yellow undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Beekeeper swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Softened Yellow
At Magnolia Home, the closest color to Softened Yellow is Amber (JG-39) — very close at ΔE 3.4, though not an exact twin. It runs noticeably darker (LRV 65 vs 75) and carries a warm yellow undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Amber swatch →
Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Softened Yellow
Farrow & Ball's nearest match is Sherbert Lemon (NO. 9914), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.07). It runs slightly darker (LRV 72 vs 75) and carries a warm yellow undertone, so it substitutes for Softened Yellow without repainting risk. See the full Sherbert Lemon swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Softened Yellow
The closest Diamond Vogel equivalent of Softened Yellow is Go Go Glow (0828). At ΔE 0.85 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same warm yellow undertone and runs slightly lighter (LRV 77 vs 75). If Diamond Vogel is your counter, order Go Go Glow and you'll get the same color. See the full Go Go Glow swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Softened Yellow
Hirshfield's's nearest match is Go Go Glow (0828), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.28). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 74 vs 75) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Softened Yellow without repainting risk. See the full Go Go Glow swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Softened Yellow
C2 Paint's nearest match is Lightning Bug (BD71), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.64). It runs slightly lighter (LRV 77 vs 75) and carries a warm yellow undertone, so it substitutes for Softened Yellow without repainting risk. See the full Lightning Bug swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Softened Yellow
Kompozit's nearest match is Go Go Glow (0828), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.28). It runs slightly lighter (LRV 77 vs 75) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Softened Yellow without repainting risk. See the full Go Go Glow swatch →