Color guide · Valspar · Neutral

Summer Sparrow

1002-9B · #7B685F · LRV 14.8 · warm red tone

1002-9B · #7B685F · LRV 14.8 — warm red tone, dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.

Summer SparrowValspar · 1002-9B
The color, edge to edge.Use your own photo →
Summer Sparrow
VALSPAR · 1002-9B · #7B685F
Brand · codeValspar1002-9B · all Valspar neutrals
LRV14.8Dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.
Undertonewarm red tone
FamilyNeutral
Hex · RGB · HSL#7B685F · 123, 104, 95 · 19°, 13%, 43%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. 1Nocturne8
  2. 2Summer Sparrow14.8
  3. 3Dorian Gray39
  4. 4Pashmina44
Undertone and depth

What Color Is Summer Sparrow, Really?

Summer Sparrow reads as a warm red tone — dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs. The notes below cover how Valspar 1002-9B behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.

Room by room

Best Rooms and Uses for Summer Sparrow

Summer Sparrow works best as a feature — a single wall, built-ins, a study or dining room — rather than wrapping a whole bright space. Greige-leaning neutrals like this are the safe whole-home choice when you want warmth without committing to a color.

Light by light

How Lighting Changes Summer Sparrow

With an LRV of 14.8, Summer Sparrow is a deep, dramatic shade. It soaks up light in north-facing rooms and looks richest where strong daylight hits it. 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. Warm artificial light softens it; cool LED can make it look flat, so match your bulbs to the mood you want.

Test it in your light, not a showroom's

Most complaints about Summer Sparrow 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 1002-9B 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 Summer Sparrow 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 Summer Sparrow · 4 : 1 · large text onlyWhite text on Summer Sparrow · 5.3 : 1 · passes AA

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 #7B685F in HSL space. Pair Summer Sparrow with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#7B685F + #5F727B
TRIADIC
#7B685F · #5F7B68 · #685F7B
ANALOGOUS
#7B5F64 · #7B685F · #7B765F

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Jessica Williams

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