Color spec
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams |
| Name | Prelude |
| SKU | SW 9620 |
| Hex | #5B564F |
| RGB | 91, 86, 79 |
| HSL | 35°, 7%, 33% |
| LRV | 9 |
| Undertone | warm red-orange tone |
| Family | Gray |
About Sherwin-Williams Prelude
At LRV 9, Prelude 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 orange 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.
Prelude earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Grays like this read as a modern neutral and sit comfortably alongside both warm woods and cool metals.
Closest matches by brand
15 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 gray from that brand.
Behr
Benjamin Moore
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Magnolia Home
Farrow & Ball
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Rodda
C2 Paint
Kompozit
Similar Sherwin-Williams colors
closest in the Sherwin-Williams deckThe nearest shades to Prelude 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 #5B564F in HSL space. Pair Prelude 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 Prelude Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Prelude 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 9620 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Behr Equivalent of Prelude
Behr's nearest match is Equestrian Leather (HDC-CL-24G), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.77). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 9) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Prelude without repainting risk. See the full Equestrian Leather swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Prelude
Benjamin Moore has no exact twin of Prelude. The nearest is Stone Brown (2112-30) at ΔE 3.7 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 9). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Stone Brown swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Prelude
Valspar has no exact twin of Prelude. The nearest is Sable Evening (5006-2C) at ΔE 3.59 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9.9 vs 9). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Sable Evening swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Prelude
At PPG / Glidden, the closest color to Prelude is Undercover (PPG0998-7) — very close at ΔE 3.28, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 9) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Undercover swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Prelude
Glidden's nearest match is Forest Black (30YY 10/038), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.16). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 9) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Prelude without repainting risk. See the full Forest Black swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Prelude
At Dutch Boy, the closest color to Prelude is Ironside (422-7DB) — very close at ΔE 2.94, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 9) and carries a warm yellow undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Ironside swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Prelude
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Prelude. The nearest is Peppercorn (HGSW 1491) at ΔE 4.44 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 9). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Peppercorn swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Prelude
At Dunn-Edwards, the closest color to Prelude is Chiaroscuro (DEBN78) — very close at ΔE 2.36, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 9) and carries a warm yellow undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Chiaroscuro swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Prelude
At Magnolia Home, the closest color to Prelude is Conservatory (JG-158) — very close at ΔE 3.28, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 9) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Conservatory swatch →
Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Prelude
Farrow & Ball has no exact twin of Prelude. The nearest is Reduced Green (NO. 313) at ΔE 4.16 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 9). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Reduced Green swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Prelude
Diamond Vogel's nearest match is Terra Pin (0571), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.58). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 9) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Prelude without repainting risk. See the full Terra Pin swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Prelude
At Hirshfield's, the closest color to Prelude is Wildwood (0214) — very close at ΔE 3.25, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 11 vs 9) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Wildwood swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Prelude
Rodda's nearest match is Caffe Americano (R036), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.95). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 9) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Prelude without repainting risk. See the full Caffe Americano swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Prelude
C2 Paint has no exact twin of Prelude. The nearest is Chocolate Therapy (C2-806) at ΔE 4.34 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 9). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Chocolate Therapy swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Prelude
At Kompozit, the closest color to Prelude is Wildwood (0214) — very close at ΔE 3.25, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 9) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Wildwood swatch →