Terracotta
398640 · #CE834C · LRV 30 — warm red-orange tone, mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.
- 1Rookwood Terra Cotta14
- 2Determined Orange22
- 3Terracotta30
- 4Caramelized35
- 5Venetian Plaster42
What Color Is Terracotta, Really?
Terracotta reads as a warm red-orange tone — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover how Rust-Oleum 398640 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Terracotta
Terracotta is versatile enough for full rooms but has enough depth to anchor a space, so it suits living rooms, bedrooms and cabinetry alike. Earthy oranges and terracottas warm up dining rooms and entries.
How Lighting Changes Terracotta
Terracotta sits in the mid-range at LRV 30, 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.
Most complaints about Terracotta 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.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint Rust-Oleum 398640 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.
| Brand | Closest color | ΔE | LRV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherwin-Williams | Amber WaveSW 6657 · Sherwin-Williams | 2.3 | 30 | Color page → |
| Behr | Flaming TorchPPU3-03 · Behr | 1.2 | 31 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Cornucopia Tan119 · Benjamin Moore | 0.9 | 31 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Pinch of CloveP082 · Valspar | 4.3 | 31.1 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Wright OchreFLLW325 · PPG / Glidden | 0.7 | 29 | Color page → |
| Glidden | GingerbreadPPG1201-6 · Glidden | 0.7 | 29 | Color page → |
Similar Rust-Oleum Colors
The nearest shades to Terracotta within Rust-Oleum's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
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 #CE834C in HSL space. Pair Terracotta with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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