Muslin (BM 1037) vs Natural Linen (SW 9109)
Illustrative room. Screen colors vary; test a sample before you paint.
Quick decision
- Lighter
- About the same: LRV 66.5 vs 66.
- Warmer
- Muslin, both greige (Lab b* 11.7 vs 9.4).
- North rooms
- About the same: both keep their brightness and color about equally (L* 82.0 vs 81.2 in north light).
- Trim that works
- Ivory Tower BM 2157-70, #FBF2E4, LRV 86: the Benjamin Moore white closest in hue to both.
- Closeness
- deltaE 2.4, noticeably different. At 2.4, test both: on a full wall the difference will show.
See each color
More comparisons with Natural Linen
Muslin (BM 1037) is about as light as Natural Linen (SW 9109) and slightly warmer: LRV 66.5 vs 66, deltaE 2.4 (noticeably different).
Side by side
| Measure | Muslin | Natural Linen | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Benjamin Moore | Sherwin-Williams | |
| Color code | 1037 | SW 9109 | |
| Hex | #E1D6C1 | #DFD3C3 | |
| RGB | 225, 214, 193 | 223, 211, 195 | |
| HSL | 39°, 35%, 82% | 34°, 30%, 82% | |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 66.5 | 66 | +0.5 |
| Lab L* | 86.0 | 85.1 | +0.9 |
| Lab a* | 0.3 | 1.5 | −1.2 |
| Lab b* | 11.7 | 9.4 | +2.3 |
| Undertone | Warm Yellow | Warm | |
| Temperature | warm | warm | |
| Color family | Beige | Beige |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Muslin (BM 1037), published as #E1D6C1
#D0CCBF
#F3E0C1
Natural Linen (SW 9109), published as #DFD3C3
#CEC9C1
#F1DDC3
These swatches and the rooms above are a simulation, not a measurement. How the visualizer works
Which should you pick
Rules of thumb computed from the LRV and Lab values in the table above; no room test was done.
- Pick Muslin (BM 1037) for a small room or a north-facing room, because it is 0.5 LRV points lighter (66.5 vs 66), so it bounces back more of the limited light
- Pick Natural Linen (SW 9109) for a south-facing room, because its Lab b* is 9.4 against 11.7, so it is the cooler of the two and offsets warm direct sun
- Pick Muslin (BM 1037) to warm a north-facing room, because it is the warmer of the two (Lab b* 11.7), which counters cool indirect light
Closest matches to Muslin in other brands
Closest matches to Natural Linen in other brands
Common questions
- Is Muslin the same color as Natural Linen?
- They are noticeably different: a CIEDE2000 difference of 2.4. Most people can see the difference between Muslin and Natural Linen side by side.
- Which is lighter, Muslin or Natural Linen?
- Muslin, with an LRV of 66.5 against 66.
Full pages
Related comparisons
Sources: Muslin: LRV and hex from Benjamin Moore technical data (verified 2026-10-02); Natural Linen: LRV and hex as published by the manufacturer, via PaintDB (CC BY 4.0). Color differences are CIEDE2000 values computed by this site from the hex values (data snapshot 2026-10-01). Color names and codes belong to their manufacturers.