Color spec
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams |
| Name | Fairfax Brown |
| SKU | SW 2856 |
| Hex | #61463A |
| RGB | 97, 70, 58 |
| HSL | 18°, 25%, 30% |
| LRV | 7 |
| Undertone | warm red tone |
| Family | Brown |
About Sherwin-Williams 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.
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.
Closest matches by brand
14 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 brown from that brand.
Behr
Benjamin Moore
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Magnolia Home
Hirshfield's
Rodda
C2 Paint
Backdrop
Kompozit
Similar Sherwin-Williams colors
closest in the Sherwin-Williams deckThe 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.
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.
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 Fairfax Brown Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Fairfax Brown 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 2856 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Behr Equivalent of Fairfax Brown
At Behr, the closest color to Fairfax Brown is Heritage Oak (T15-5) — very close at ΔE 2.31, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7) and carries a warm red undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Heritage Oak swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Fairfax Brown
At Benjamin Moore, the closest color to Fairfax Brown is Pine Cone Brown (2113-20) — very close at ΔE 2.83, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7) and carries a warm red undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Pine Cone Brown swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Fairfax Brown
Valspar's nearest match is Deeply Deanna (T594), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.43). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7.3 vs 7) and carries a warm red undertone, so it substitutes for Fairfax Brown without repainting risk. See the full Deeply Deanna swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Fairfax Brown
PPG / Glidden's nearest match is Fudge (PPG1073-7), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.02). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 7) and carries a warm red undertone, so it substitutes for Fairfax Brown without repainting risk. See the full Fudge swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Fairfax Brown
Glidden's nearest match is Fudge (PPG1073-7), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.12). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 7) and carries a warm red undertone, so it substitutes for Fairfax Brown without repainting risk. See the full Fudge swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Fairfax Brown
Dutch Boy has no exact twin of Fairfax Brown. The nearest is Ageless Bronze (413-7DB) at ΔE 4.36 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Ageless Bronze swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Fairfax Brown
At HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Fairfax Brown is Moca Java (HGSW 3071) — very close at ΔE 2.74, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Moca Java swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Fairfax Brown
Dunn-Edwards's nearest match is Northern Territory (DEA158), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.37). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7) and carries a warm red undertone, so it substitutes for Fairfax Brown without repainting risk. See the full Northern Territory swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Fairfax Brown
At Magnolia Home, the closest color to Fairfax Brown is Mountain Currant (JG-171) — very close at ΔE 2.79, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 7) and carries a warm red undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Mountain Currant swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Fairfax Brown
Hirshfield's's nearest match is Hideaway (0137), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.8). It runs slightly lighter (LRV 9 vs 7) and carries a warm red undertone, so it substitutes for Fairfax Brown without repainting risk. See the full Hideaway swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Fairfax Brown
Rodda has no exact twin of Fairfax Brown. The nearest is Tannic Tea (R132) at ΔE 4.89 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 7). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Tannic Tea swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Fairfax Brown
C2 Paint has no exact twin of Fairfax Brown. The nearest is Raku (C2-549) at ΔE 3.57 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Raku swatch →
Backdrop Equivalent of Fairfax Brown
At Backdrop, the closest color to Fairfax Brown is It's a Date (BD-IT) — very close at ΔE 2.5, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full It's a Date swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Fairfax Brown
Kompozit's nearest match is Hideaway (0137), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.8). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7) and carries a warm red undertone, so it substitutes for Fairfax Brown without repainting risk. See the full Hideaway swatch →