Clove
SW 9605 · #453E39 · LRV 5 — warm red-orange tone, very dark — reads black in most rooms.
- 1Cordovan Brown0
- 2Clove5
What Color Is Clove, Really?
Clove reads as a warm red-orange tone — very dark — reads black in most rooms. The notes below cover how Sherwin-Williams SW 9605 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Clove
Clove earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Near-blacks like this are best as contrast — doors, trim, cabinets, window frames.
How Lighting Changes Clove
At LRV 5, Clove 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.
Most complaints about Clove 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 Sherwin-Williams SW 9605 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Behr | Off BroadwayMQ1-35 · Behr | 2.7 | 5 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Black Bean Soup2130-10 · Benjamin Moore | 2.0 | 6 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Safari Brown6009-1 · Valspar | 2.5 | 5.2 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Black MagicPPG1001-7 · PPG / Glidden | 4.6 | 5 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Black MagicPPG1001-7 · Glidden | 4.2 | 5 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Cauldron437-7DB · Dutch Boy | 3.7 | 5 | Color page → |
Similar Sherwin-Williams Colors
The nearest shades to Clove within Sherwin-Williams'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 #453E39 in HSL space. Pair Clove with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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