Polished Mahogany
SW 2838 · #432722 · LRV 3 — warm red tone, very dark — reads black in most rooms.
- 1Polished Mahogany3
- 2Porpoise13
- 3Cavern Clay20
What Color Is Polished Mahogany, Really?
Polished Mahogany reads as a warm red tone — very dark — reads black in most rooms. The notes below cover how Sherwin-Williams SW 2838 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Polished Mahogany
Polished Mahogany 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 Polished Mahogany
At LRV 3, Polished Mahogany 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 Polished Mahogany 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.
Similar Sherwin-Williams Colors
The nearest shades to Polished Mahogany 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 #432722 in HSL space. Pair Polished Mahogany with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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