Color spec
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams |
| Name | Secret Garden |
| SKU | SW 6181 |
| Hex | #4F523A |
| RGB | 79, 82, 58 |
| HSL | 68°, 17%, 27% |
| LRV | 8 |
| Undertone | warm yellow tone |
| Family | Neutral |
About Sherwin-Williams Secret Garden
At LRV 8, Secret Garden 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 yellow 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.
Secret Garden earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Greige-leaning neutrals like this are the safe whole-home choice when you want warmth without committing to a color.
Closest matches by brand
13 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 neutral from that brand.
Behr
Benjamin Moore
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Magnolia Home
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Rodda
Portola Paints
Kompozit
Similar Sherwin-Williams colors
closest in the Sherwin-Williams deckThe nearest shades to Secret Garden 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 #4F523A in HSL space. Pair Secret Garden 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 Secret Garden Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Secret Garden 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 6181 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Behr Equivalent of Secret Garden
At Behr, the closest color to Secret Garden is Frontier Shadow (740D-7) — very close at ΔE 2.12, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8) and carries a warm yellow undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Frontier Shadow swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Secret Garden
Benjamin Moore has no exact twin of Secret Garden. The nearest is Artichoke (2141-10) at ΔE 4.06 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Artichoke swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Secret Garden
PPG / Glidden has no exact twin of Secret Garden. The nearest is Castle Stone (PPG1128-7) at ΔE 3.6 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 8). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Castle Stone swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Secret Garden
At Glidden, the closest color to Secret Garden is Castle Stone (PPG1128-7) — very close at ΔE 3.45, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 8) and carries a cool green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Castle Stone swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Secret Garden
The closest Dutch Boy equivalent of Secret Garden is Brackish Water (323-7DB). At ΔE 0 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same warm yellow undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8). If Dutch Boy is your counter, order Brackish Water and you'll get the same color. See the full Brackish Water swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Secret Garden
The closest HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams equivalent of Secret Garden is Urban Garden (HGSW 3241). At ΔE 0 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same warm yellow undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8). If HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams is your counter, order Urban Garden and you'll get the same color. See the full Urban Garden swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Secret Garden
At Magnolia Home, the closest color to Secret Garden is Step Stool Green (JG-160) — very close at ΔE 3.12, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8) and carries a warm yellow undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Step Stool Green swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Secret Garden
Diamond Vogel has no exact twin of Secret Garden. The nearest is Clover Patch (0431) at ΔE 4.16 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Clover Patch swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Secret Garden
Hirshfield's has no exact twin of Secret Garden. The nearest is Baize (H0095) at ΔE 4.6 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Baize swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Secret Garden
Rodda has no exact twin of Secret Garden. The nearest is Garden Moss (R048) at ΔE 4.51 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 8). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Garden Moss swatch →
Portola Paints Equivalent of Secret Garden
Portola Paints has no exact twin of Secret Garden. The nearest is Ponderosa (PONDEROSA) at ΔE 4.83 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Ponderosa swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Secret Garden
Kompozit has no exact twin of Secret Garden. The nearest is Evening Dove (0451) at ΔE 4.82 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Evening Dove swatch →