Color spec
| Brand | Valspar |
| Name | Dark Earth |
| SKU | 3011-8 |
| Hex | #684930 |
| RGB | 104, 73, 48 |
| HSL | 27°, 37%, 30% |
| LRV | 7.9 |
| Undertone | warm red-orange tone |
| Family | Brown |
About Valspar Dark Earth
At LRV 7.9, Dark Earth 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.
Dark Earth 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
9 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.
Sherwin-Williams
Behr
Benjamin Moore
Glidden
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Hirshfield's
Backdrop
Kompozit
Similar Valspar colors
closest in the Valspar deckThe nearest shades to Dark Earth within Valspar'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 #684930 in HSL space. Pair Dark Earth 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.
Valspar Dark Earth Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Dark Earth 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 Valspar 3011-8 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Dark Earth
Sherwin-Williams's nearest match is Sturdy Brown (SW 6097), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.14). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 7.9) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Dark Earth without repainting risk. See the full Sturdy Brown swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Dark Earth
Behr has no exact twin of Dark Earth. The nearest is Wooden Cabin (290F-7) at ΔE 4.19 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 7.9). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Wooden Cabin swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Dark Earth
Benjamin Moore has no exact twin of Dark Earth. The nearest is Java (2106-10) at ΔE 4.28 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 7.9). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Java swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Dark Earth
Dutch Boy has no exact twin of Dark Earth. The nearest is Pinecone Brown (313-7DB) at ΔE 4.4 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 7.9). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Pinecone Brown swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Dark Earth
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams's nearest match is Brown Aptitude (HGSW 3101), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.14). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 7.9) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Dark Earth without repainting risk. See the full Brown Aptitude swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Dark Earth
Hirshfield's has no exact twin of Dark Earth. The nearest is Hideaway (0137) at ΔE 4.48 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 7.9). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Hideaway swatch →
Backdrop Equivalent of Dark Earth
Backdrop has no exact twin of Dark Earth. The nearest is It's a Date (BD-IT) at ΔE 4.68 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7.9). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full It's a Date swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Dark Earth
Kompozit has no exact twin of Dark Earth. The nearest is Hideaway (0137) at ΔE 4.48 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7.9). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Hideaway swatch →