Sherwin-Williams Merlot#51323B · LRV 4
Merlot reads as a red / warm — very dark — reads black in most rooms. The notes below cover the spec, what Sherwin-Williams SW 2704 actually looks like under different light, and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Color spec
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams |
| Name | Merlot |
| SKU | SW 2704 |
| Hex | #51323B |
| RGB | 81, 50, 59 |
| HSL | 343°, 24%, 26% |
| LRV | 4 |
| Undertone | red / warm |
| 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.
Kompozit alternative
The closest hex in the Kompozit deck, ranked by ΔE2000 (perceptual color difference). ΔE under 2 is indistinguishable to most eyes; under 5 is a very close visual match.
Closest matches at every US brand
9 brands · top 5 each5 closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all brown from that brand.
Behr
Farrow & Ball
Benjamin Moore
PPG / Glidden
Dunn-Edwards
Magnolia Home
Valspar
Clare
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.