Color guide · Valspar · Brown

Piano Brown

1004-9A · #5B413B · LRV 6.3 · warm red tone

1004-9A · #5B413B · LRV 6.3 — warm red tone, very dark — reads black in most rooms.

Piano BrownValspar · 1004-9A
The color, edge to edge.Use your own photo →
Piano Brown
VALSPAR · 1004-9A · #5B413B
Brand · codeValspar1004-9A · all Valspar browns
LRV6.3Very dark — reads black in most rooms.
Undertonewarm red tone
FamilyBrown
Hex · RGB · HSL#5B413B · 91, 65, 59 · 11°, 21%, 29%Display values from the brand. Match it at another brand
Sheen we recommendEggshell on walls · satin on trim and cabinetsWhich sheen where, explained
Where it sits, light to dark
  1. 1Mahogany0
  2. 2Piano Brown6.3
  3. 3Porpoise13
  4. 4Cavern Clay20
Undertone and depth

What Color Is Piano Brown, Really?

Piano Brown reads as a warm red tone — very dark — reads black in most rooms. The notes below cover how Valspar 1004-9A behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.

Room by room

Best Rooms and Uses for Piano Brown

Piano Brown 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.

Light by light

How Lighting Changes Piano Brown

At LRV 6.3, Piano Brown 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.

Test it in your light, not a showroom's

Most complaints about Piano Brown 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.

Upload a photoPainted in about a minuteFree, no account
Visualize in your room
Same color, different store

Need It From Another Brand?

Any paint counter can custom-tint Valspar 1004-9A directly. If you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches, measured as ΔE2000. Under 2 is a difference you will not see on the wall.

Same deck, next chip over

Similar Valspar Colors

The nearest shades to Piano Brown within Valspar's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.

Contrast, for text and signage
Black text on Piano Brown · 2.3 : 1 · fails for textWhite text on Piano Brown · 9.3 : 1 · passes AA and AAA

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 #5B413B in HSL space. Pair Piano Brown with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#5B413B + #3B555B
TRIADIC
#5B413B · #3B5B41 · #413B5B
ANALOGOUS
#5B3B45 · #5B413B · #5B513B

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Jessica Williams

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