Elephant Ear
SW 9168 · #988F85 · LRV 28 — warm red-orange tone, mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.
- 1Roycroft Brass15
- 2Anonymous20
- 3Elephant Ear28
- 4Light French Gray53
- 5Accessible Beige58
What Color Is Elephant Ear, Really?
Elephant Ear reads as a warm red-orange tone — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover how Sherwin-Williams SW 9168 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Elephant Ear
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.
How Lighting Changes 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.
Most complaints about Elephant Ear 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 9168 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 | Country Club770B-5 · Behr | 1.7 | 28 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Studio ClayCSP-380 · Benjamin Moore | 3.9 | 29 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Tabby Cat Gray8005-1D · Valspar | 1.8 | 28 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Eiffel TowerPPG1022-5 · PPG / Glidden | 1.1 | 28 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Eiffel TowerPPG1022-5 · Glidden | 1.0 | 28 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Rustic Greige404-4DB · Dutch Boy | 3.5 | 29 | Color page → |
Similar Sherwin-Williams Colors
The 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.
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 #988F85 in HSL space. Pair Elephant Ear with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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