Natural Linen (BM 966) vs Natural Linen (SW 9109)
Illustrative room. Screen colors vary; test a sample before you paint.
Quick decision
- Lighter
- Natural Linen, LRV 66 vs 59.8.
- Warmer
- Natural Linen (Lab b* 12.2 vs 9.4). Natural Linen reads yellow; Natural Linen reads greige.
- North rooms
- Natural Linen keeps more brightness (L* 81.2 vs 78.7 in north light); both drift gray about equally.
- Trim that works
- Ivory Tower BM 2157-70, #FBF2E4, LRV 86: the Benjamin Moore white closest in hue to both.
- Closeness
- deltaE 3.4, noticeably different. At 3.4, test both: on a full wall the difference will show.
See each color
Natural Linen
More comparisons with Natural Linen
Natural Linen (BM 966) is darker than Natural Linen (SW 9109) and slightly warmer: LRV 59.8 vs 66, deltaE 3.4 (noticeably different).
Side by side
| Measure | Natural Linen, Benjamin Moore | Natural Linen, Sherwin-Williams | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Benjamin Moore | Sherwin-Williams | |
| Color code | 966 | SW 9109 | |
| Hex | #D7CDB7 | #DFD3C3 | |
| RGB | 215, 205, 183 | 223, 211, 195 | |
| HSL | 41°, 29%, 78% | 34°, 30%, 82% | |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 59.8 | 66 | −6.2 |
| Lab L* | 82.7 | 85.1 | −2.5 |
| Lab a* | -0.2 | 1.5 | −1.7 |
| Lab b* | 12.2 | 9.4 | +2.8 |
| Undertone | Warm Yellow | Warm | |
| Temperature | warm | warm | |
| Color family | Beige | Beige |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Natural Linen (BM 966), published as #D7CDB7
#C6C3B5
#E8D7B7
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 Natural Linen (SW 9109) for a small room or a north-facing room, because it is 6.2 LRV points lighter (66 vs 59.8), 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 12.2, so it is the cooler of the two and offsets warm direct sun
- Pick Natural Linen (BM 966) to warm a north-facing room, because it is the warmer of the two (Lab b* 12.2), which counters cool indirect light
Closest matches to Natural Linen in other brands
Closest matches to Natural Linen in other brands
Common questions
- Is Natural Linen the same color as Natural Linen?
- They are noticeably different: a CIEDE2000 difference of 3.4. Most people can see the difference between Natural Linen and Natural Linen side by side.
- Which is lighter, Natural Linen or Natural Linen?
- Natural Linen, with an LRV of 66 against 59.8.
Full pages
Related comparisons
Sources: 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.