Color spec
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams |
| Name | Merlot |
| SKU | SW 2704 |
| Hex | #51323B |
| RGB | 81, 50, 59 |
| HSL | 343°, 24%, 26% |
| LRV | 4 |
| Undertone | warm red tone |
| Family | Brown |
About Sherwin-Williams Merlot
At LRV 4, Merlot 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 magenta 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.
Merlot 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
7 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
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
C2 Paint
Kompozit
Similar Sherwin-Williams colors
closest in the Sherwin-Williams deckThe nearest shades to Merlot 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 #51323B in HSL space. Pair Merlot 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 Merlot Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Merlot 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 2704 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Behr Equivalent of Merlot
At Behr, the closest color to Merlot is Wild Manzanita (700B-7) — very close at ΔE 2.46, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 4) and carries a warm red undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Wild Manzanita swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Merlot
Benjamin Moore has no exact twin of Merlot. The nearest is Dark Purple (2073-10) at ΔE 3.6 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 6 vs 4). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Dark Purple swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Merlot
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Merlot. The nearest is Winery Red (HGSW 3411) at ΔE 3.9 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 4 vs 4). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Winery Red swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Merlot
Diamond Vogel has no exact twin of Merlot. The nearest is Royal Iris (H067) at ΔE 4.89 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 6 vs 4). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Royal Iris swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Merlot
C2 Paint has no exact twin of Merlot. The nearest is Black Locust (BD42) at ΔE 4.18 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 4 vs 4). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Black Locust swatch →