Color spec
| Brand | Farrow & Ball |
| Name | Preference Red |
| SKU | No. 297 |
| Hex | #6F4449 |
| RGB | 111, 68, 73 |
| HSL | 353°, 24%, 35% |
| LRV | 8 |
| Undertone | warm red tone |
| Family | Brown |
About Farrow & Ball Preference Red
At LRV 8, Preference Red is about as dark as paint gets — it reads near-black on a wall and reveals its character only in direct daylight or under warm bulbs. 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. In rooms with little natural light it can feel heavy, so reserve it for spaces you want to feel enveloping.
Preference Red earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Browns ground a room and pair naturally with leather, wood and warm metals.
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 brown from that brand.
Sherwin-Williams
Behr
Benjamin Moore
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dutch Boy
Dunn-Edwards
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Rodda
C2 Paint
Clare
Kompozit
Similar Farrow & Ball colors
closest in the Farrow & Ball deckThe nearest shades to Preference Red within Farrow & Ball'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 #6F4449 in HSL space. Pair Preference Red 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.
Farrow & Ball Preference Red Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Preference Red 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 Farrow & Ball No. 297 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Preference Red
Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Preference Red. The nearest is Carriage Door (SW 7594) at ΔE 4.22 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Carriage Door swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Preference Red
Behr's nearest match is Formal Maroon (PPU1-14), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.03). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8) and carries a warm red undertone, so it substitutes for Preference Red without repainting risk. See the full Formal Maroon swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Preference Red
Benjamin Moore's nearest match is Ruby Dusk (1267), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.96). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 8) and carries a warm red undertone, so it substitutes for Preference Red without repainting risk. See the full Ruby Dusk swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Preference Red
At Valspar, the closest color to Preference Red is Stoic (1010-6) — very close at ΔE 2.14, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7.2 vs 8) and carries a warm red undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Stoic swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Preference Red
PPG / Glidden's nearest match is Red Red Wine (PPG1049-7), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.81). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8) and carries a warm red undertone, so it substitutes for Preference Red without repainting risk. See the full Red Red Wine swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Preference Red
Glidden's nearest match is Red Red Wine (PPG1049-7), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.51). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8) and carries a warm red undertone, so it substitutes for Preference Red without repainting risk. See the full Red Red Wine swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Preference Red
At Dutch Boy, the closest color to Preference Red is Holiday Berry (303-7DB) — very close at ΔE 2.54, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8) and carries a warm red undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Holiday Berry swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Preference Red
At Dunn-Edwards, the closest color to Preference Red is Wine Stain (DEA145) — very close at ΔE 3.42, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 8) and carries a warm red undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Wine Stain swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Preference Red
At Diamond Vogel, the closest color to Preference Red is Earthly Pleasure (0102) — very close at ΔE 3.19, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8) and carries a warm red undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Earthly Pleasure swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Preference Red
Hirshfield's has no exact twin of Preference Red. The nearest is Berry Crush (0081) at ΔE 4.35 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 10 vs 8). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Berry Crush swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Preference Red
At Rodda, the closest color to Preference Red is Apple of Grenada (R125) — very close at ΔE 2.48, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8) and carries a warm red undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Apple of Grenada swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Preference Red
C2 Paint's nearest match is Tallulah (C2-502), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.39). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8) and carries a warm red undertone, so it substitutes for Preference Red without repainting risk. See the full Tallulah swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Preference Red
Kompozit has no exact twin of Preference Red. The nearest is Berry Crush (0081) at ΔE 4.35 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Berry Crush swatch →