Color spec
| Brand | HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams |
| Name | Subterranean |
| SKU | HGSW 3221 |
| Hex | #5A5243 |
| RGB | 90, 82, 67 |
| HSL | 39°, 15%, 31% |
| LRV | 9 |
| Undertone | warm red-orange tone |
| Family | Gray |
About HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Subterranean
At LRV 9, Subterranean 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 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. In rooms with little natural light it can feel heavy, so reserve it for spaces you want to feel enveloping.
Subterranean earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Grays like this read as a modern neutral and sit comfortably alongside both warm woods and cool metals.
Closest matches by brand
15 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 gray from that brand.
Sherwin-Williams
Behr
Benjamin Moore
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dutch Boy
Dunn-Edwards
Farrow & Ball
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Rodda
C2 Paint
Portola Paints
Kompozit
Similar HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams colors
closest in the HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams deckThe nearest shades to Subterranean within HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams'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 #5A5243 in HSL space. Pair Subterranean 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.
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Subterranean Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Subterranean 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 HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams HGSW 3221 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Subterranean
The closest Sherwin-Williams equivalent of Subterranean is Muddled Basil (SW 7745). At ΔE 0 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same warm red-orange undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 9). If Sherwin-Williams is your counter, order Muddled Basil and you'll get the same color. See the full Muddled Basil swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Subterranean
Behr's nearest match is Treemoss (QE-32), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.46). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 9) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Subterranean without repainting risk. See the full Treemoss swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Subterranean
At Benjamin Moore, the closest color to Subterranean is Dakota Woods Green (2139-20) — very close at ΔE 3.04, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 9) and carries a warm yellow undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Dakota Woods Green swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Subterranean
At Valspar, the closest color to Subterranean is Olive Smudge (6001-2C) — very close at ΔE 2.47, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8.8 vs 9) and carries a warm yellow undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Olive Smudge swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Subterranean
PPG / Glidden's nearest match is Star Anise (PPG1022-7), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.8). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 9) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Subterranean without repainting risk. See the full Star Anise swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Subterranean
At Glidden, the closest color to Subterranean is Star Anise (PPG1022-7) — very close at ΔE 2.64, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 9) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Star Anise swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Subterranean
At Dutch Boy, the closest color to Subterranean is Old Footlocker (418-7DB) — very close at ΔE 2.41, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 9) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Old Footlocker swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Subterranean
Dunn-Edwards has no exact twin of Subterranean. The nearest is Haberdashery (DEBN43) at ΔE 3.94 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 9). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Haberdashery swatch →
Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Subterranean
Farrow & Ball has no exact twin of Subterranean. The nearest is Reduced Green (NO. 313) at ΔE 3.63 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 9). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Reduced Green swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Subterranean
Diamond Vogel's nearest match is Deep Shadow (0445), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.53). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 9) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Subterranean without repainting risk. See the full Deep Shadow swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Subterranean
Hirshfield's's nearest match is Grime (0444), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.81). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 9) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Subterranean without repainting risk. See the full Grime swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Subterranean
At Rodda, the closest color to Subterranean is Garden Moss (R048) — very close at ΔE 3.4, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 9) and carries a warm yellow undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Garden Moss swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Subterranean
C2 Paint has no exact twin of Subterranean. The nearest is Buffalo (C2-613) at ΔE 4.35 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 9). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Buffalo swatch →
Portola Paints Equivalent of Subterranean
Portola Paints has no exact twin of Subterranean. The nearest is Ponderosa (PONDEROSA) at ΔE 3.52 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 9). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Ponderosa swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Subterranean
Kompozit's nearest match is Grime (0444), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.81). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 9) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Subterranean without repainting risk. See the full Grime swatch →