Fairfax Brown
SW 2856 · #61463A · LRV 7 — warm red tone, very dark — reads black in most rooms.
- 1Weathervane2
- 2Fairfax Brown7
- 3Porpoise13
- 4Cavern Clay20
What Color Is Fairfax Brown, Really?
Fairfax Brown reads as a warm red tone — very dark — reads black in most rooms. The notes below cover how Sherwin-Williams SW 2856 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Fairfax Brown
Fairfax Brown 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.
How Lighting Changes Fairfax Brown
At LRV 7, Fairfax Brown 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.
Most complaints about Fairfax Brown 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 2856 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 | Chocolate TherapyN150-7 · Behr | 2.4 | 8 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Pine Cone Brown2113-20 · Benjamin Moore | 2.8 | 7 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Deeply DeannaT594 · Valspar | 1.4 | 7.3 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | FudgePPG1073-7 · PPG / Glidden | 1.0 | 8 | Color page → |
| Glidden | FudgePPG1073-7 · Glidden | 1.1 | 8 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Ageless Bronze413-7DB · Dutch Boy | 4.4 | 7 | Color page → |
Similar Sherwin-Williams Colors
The nearest shades to Fairfax Brown 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 #61463A in HSL space. Pair Fairfax Brown with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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