Color spec
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams |
| Name | Bitter Chocolate |
| SKU | SW 6013 |
| Hex | #4D3C3C |
| RGB | 77, 60, 60 |
| HSL | 0°, 12%, 27% |
| LRV | 5 |
| Undertone | warm red tone |
| Family | Brown |
About Sherwin-Williams Bitter Chocolate
At LRV 5, Bitter Chocolate 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.
Bitter Chocolate 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
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 brown from that brand.
Behr
Benjamin Moore
Valspar
Glidden
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Magnolia Home
Farrow & Ball
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Rodda
C2 Paint
Portola Paints
Kompozit
Similar Sherwin-Williams colors
closest in the Sherwin-Williams deckThe nearest shades to Bitter Chocolate within 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 #4D3C3C in HSL space. Pair Bitter Chocolate 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.
Sherwin-Williams Bitter Chocolate Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Bitter Chocolate 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 Sherwin-Williams SW 6013 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Behr Equivalent of Bitter Chocolate
Behr's nearest match is Polished Leather (UL110-23), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.41). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 5) and carries a warm red undertone, so it substitutes for Bitter Chocolate without repainting risk. See the full Polished Leather swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Bitter Chocolate
Benjamin Moore has no exact twin of Bitter Chocolate. The nearest is Tucker Chocolate (CW-175) at ΔE 3.94 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Tucker Chocolate swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Bitter Chocolate
Valspar's nearest match is Christmas Pudding (8004-5G), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.07). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 5) and carries a warm red undertone, so it substitutes for Bitter Chocolate without repainting risk. See the full Christmas Pudding swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Bitter Chocolate
At Glidden, the closest color to Bitter Chocolate is Ranch House Brown (85RR 05/082) — very close at ΔE 2.89, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 5) and carries a warm red undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Ranch House Brown swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Bitter Chocolate
The closest Dutch Boy equivalent of Bitter Chocolate is Blackened Walnut (403-7DB). At ΔE 0 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same warm red undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 5). If Dutch Boy is your counter, order Blackened Walnut and you'll get the same color. See the full Blackened Walnut swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Bitter Chocolate
The closest HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams equivalent of Bitter Chocolate is Fertile Soil (HGSW 3421). At ΔE 0 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same warm red undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 5). If HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams is your counter, order Fertile Soil and you'll get the same color. See the full Fertile Soil swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Bitter Chocolate
At Dunn-Edwards, the closest color to Bitter Chocolate is Cassel Earth (DEBN22) — very close at ΔE 2.43, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 5) and carries a warm red undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Cassel Earth swatch →
Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Bitter Chocolate
At Farrow & Ball, the closest color to Bitter Chocolate is Cola (NO. 9918) — very close at ΔE 3.01, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 5) and carries a warm red undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Cola swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Bitter Chocolate
Diamond Vogel has no exact twin of Bitter Chocolate. The nearest is Royal Iris (H067) at ΔE 3.58 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Royal Iris swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Bitter Chocolate
Hirshfield's has no exact twin of Bitter Chocolate. The nearest is Chocolate (H0142) at ΔE 3.98 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Chocolate swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Bitter Chocolate
Rodda has no exact twin of Bitter Chocolate. The nearest is Chocolate Raspberry (CA216) at ΔE 4.04 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Chocolate Raspberry swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Bitter Chocolate
C2 Paint has no exact twin of Bitter Chocolate. The nearest is Twilight Zone (C2-821) at ΔE 4.69 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Twilight Zone swatch →
Portola Paints Equivalent of Bitter Chocolate
Portola Paints has no exact twin of Bitter Chocolate. The nearest is Poe (POE) at ΔE 4.21 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Poe swatch →