Color spec
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams |
| Name | Carmine |
| SKU | SW 2905 |
| Hex | #801522 |
| RGB | 128, 21, 34 |
| HSL | 353°, 72%, 29% |
| LRV | 5 |
| Undertone | red / warm |
| Family | Red |
About Sherwin-Williams Carmine
At LRV 5, Carmine 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.
Carmine earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Reds bring energy and appetite, classic in dining rooms and front doors.
Closest matches at every US brand
13 brands · top 5 each5 closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all red from that brand.
Valspar
Benjamin Moore
Behr
Backdrop
Dutch Boy
C2 Paint
Kompozit
Magnolia Home
Dunn-Edwards
Diamond Vogel
PPG / Glidden
Farrow & Ball
Clare
Similar Sherwin-Williams colors
closest in the Sherwin-Williams deckThe nearest shades to Carmine 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 #801522 in HSL space. Pair Carmine 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 Carmine Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Carmine 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 2905 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Valspar Equivalent of Carmine
At Valspar, the closest color to Carmine is Heirloom Red (1010-3) — very close at ΔE 2.29, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5.3 vs 5) and carries a warm red undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Heirloom Red swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Carmine
Benjamin Moore has no exact twin of Carmine. The nearest is Caliente (AF-290) at ΔE 3.91 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 9 vs 5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Caliente swatch →
Backdrop Equivalent of Carmine
Backdrop doesn't make a true equivalent of Carmine — the nearest deck color, Stage Beauty (BD-SB), is clearly different (ΔE 5.14). For an exact match, any Backdrop retailer can custom-tint Sherwin-Williams SW 2905 instead. See the full Stage Beauty swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Carmine
Behr doesn't make a true equivalent of Carmine — the nearest deck color, Awning Red (S-H-180), is clearly different (ΔE 5.33). For an exact match, any Behr retailer can custom-tint Sherwin-Williams SW 2905 instead. See the full Awning Red swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Carmine
C2 Paint doesn't make a true equivalent of Carmine — the nearest deck color, Diva (C2-519), is clearly different (ΔE 6.72). For an exact match, any C2 Paint retailer can custom-tint Sherwin-Williams SW 2905 instead. See the full Diva swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Carmine
Magnolia Home doesn't make a true equivalent of Carmine — the nearest deck color, By The Fireplace (JG-29), is clearly different (ΔE 7.01). For an exact match, any Magnolia Home retailer can custom-tint Sherwin-Williams SW 2905 instead. See the full By The Fireplace swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Carmine
Dutch Boy doesn't make a true equivalent of Carmine — the nearest deck color, Tyrian Red (301-7DB), is clearly different (ΔE 7.78). For an exact match, any Dutch Boy retailer can custom-tint Sherwin-Williams SW 2905 instead. See the full Tyrian Red swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Carmine
PPG / Glidden doesn't make a true equivalent of Carmine — the nearest deck color, Ruby Lips (PPG1052-7), is clearly different (ΔE 9.64). For an exact match, any PPG / Glidden retailer can custom-tint Sherwin-Williams SW 2905 instead. See the full Ruby Lips swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Carmine
Kompozit doesn't make a true equivalent of Carmine — the nearest deck color, Cordova Burgundy (0116), is clearly different (ΔE 9.69). For an exact match, any Kompozit retailer can custom-tint Sherwin-Williams SW 2905 instead. See the full Cordova Burgundy swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Carmine
Dunn-Edwards doesn't make a true equivalent of Carmine — the nearest deck color, Garnet Evening (DEA147), is clearly different (ΔE 9.98). For an exact match, any Dunn-Edwards retailer can custom-tint Sherwin-Williams SW 2905 instead. See the full Garnet Evening swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Carmine
Diamond Vogel doesn't make a true equivalent of Carmine — the nearest deck color, Red Clay Hill (H007), is clearly different (ΔE 10.21). For an exact match, any Diamond Vogel retailer can custom-tint Sherwin-Williams SW 2905 instead. See the full Red Clay Hill swatch →
Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Carmine
Farrow & Ball doesn't make a true equivalent of Carmine — the nearest deck color, Preference Red (NO. 297), is clearly different (ΔE 13.48). For an exact match, any Farrow & Ball retailer can custom-tint Sherwin-Williams SW 2905 instead. See the full Preference Red swatch →
Clare Equivalent of Carmine
Clare doesn't make a true equivalent of Carmine — the nearest deck color, Vintage (PNT100-DP-67), is clearly different (ΔE 13.77). For an exact match, any Clare retailer can custom-tint Sherwin-Williams SW 2905 instead. See the full Vintage swatch →