Color spec
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams |
| Name | Elephant Ear |
| SKU | SW 9168 |
| Hex | #988F85 |
| RGB | 152, 143, 133 |
| HSL | 32°, 8%, 56% |
| LRV | 28 |
| Undertone | warm red-orange tone |
| Family | Neutral |
About Sherwin-Williams Elephant Ear
Elephant Ear sits in the mid-range at LRV 28, 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.
Elephant Ear is versatile enough for full rooms but has enough depth to anchor a space, so it suits living rooms, bedrooms and cabinetry alike. Greige-leaning neutrals like this are the safe whole-home choice when you want warmth without committing to a color.
Closest matches by brand
17 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 neutral from that brand.
Behr
Benjamin Moore
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Magnolia Home
Farrow & Ball
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Rodda
C2 Paint
Clare
Rust-Oleum
Kompozit
Similar Sherwin-Williams colors
closest in the Sherwin-Williams deckThe nearest shades to Elephant Ear 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 #988F85 in HSL space. Pair Elephant Ear 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 Elephant Ear Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Elephant Ear 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 9168 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Behr Equivalent of Elephant Ear
Behr's nearest match is Country Club (770B-5), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.74). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 28 vs 28) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Elephant Ear without repainting risk. See the full Country Club swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Elephant Ear
Benjamin Moore has no exact twin of Elephant Ear. The nearest is Studio Clay (CSP-380) at ΔE 3.94 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 29 vs 28). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Studio Clay swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Elephant Ear
Valspar's nearest match is Tabby Cat Gray (8005-1D), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.76). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 28 vs 28) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Elephant Ear without repainting risk. See the full Tabby Cat Gray swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Elephant Ear
PPG / Glidden's nearest match is Eiffel Tower (PPG1022-5), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.06). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 28 vs 28) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Elephant Ear without repainting risk. See the full Eiffel Tower swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Elephant Ear
The closest Glidden equivalent of Elephant Ear is Eiffel Tower (PPG1022-5). At ΔE 0.98 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same warm red-orange undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 28 vs 28). If Glidden is your counter, order Eiffel Tower and you'll get the same color. See the full Eiffel Tower swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Elephant Ear
Dutch Boy has no exact twin of Elephant Ear. The nearest is Rustic Greige (404-4DB) at ΔE 3.51 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 29 vs 28). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Rustic Greige swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Elephant Ear
At HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Elephant Ear is Curling Willow (HGSW 3484) — very close at ΔE 2.13, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 28 vs 28) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Curling Willow swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Elephant Ear
The closest Dunn-Edwards equivalent of Elephant Ear is Shale Stone (DEGR25). At ΔE 0.69 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same warm red-orange undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 28 vs 28). If Dunn-Edwards is your counter, order Shale Stone and you'll get the same color. See the full Shale Stone swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Elephant Ear
Magnolia Home has no exact twin of Elephant Ear. The nearest is Before & After (JG-146) at ΔE 3.67 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 27 vs 28). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Before & After swatch →
Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Elephant Ear
The closest Farrow & Ball equivalent of Elephant Ear is Charleston Gray (NO. 243). At ΔE 0.97 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same warm red-orange undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 29 vs 28). If Farrow & Ball is your counter, order Charleston Gray and you'll get the same color. See the full Charleston Gray swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Elephant Ear
Diamond Vogel's nearest match is Sultry Castle (0562), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.18). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 28 vs 28) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Elephant Ear without repainting risk. See the full Sultry Castle swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Elephant Ear
Hirshfield's's nearest match is Sultry Castle (0562), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.27). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 28 vs 28) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Elephant Ear without repainting risk. See the full Sultry Castle swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Elephant Ear
The closest Rodda equivalent of Elephant Ear is Concrete (CA089). At ΔE 0.64 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same warm red-orange undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 28 vs 28). If Rodda is your counter, order Concrete and you'll get the same color. See the full Concrete swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Elephant Ear
C2 Paint has no exact twin of Elephant Ear. The nearest is Parador (C2-922) at ΔE 4.56 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 28 vs 28). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Parador swatch →
Rust-Oleum Equivalent of Elephant Ear
Rust-Oleum's nearest match is Oat Latte (391446), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.23). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 27 vs 28) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Elephant Ear without repainting risk. See the full Oat Latte swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Elephant Ear
Kompozit's nearest match is Sultry Castle (0562), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.27). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 27 vs 28) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Elephant Ear without repainting risk. See the full Sultry Castle swatch →