Manchester Tan (BM HC-81) vs Natural Linen (SW 9109)
Illustrative room. Screen colors vary; test a sample before you paint.
Quick decision
- Lighter
- Natural Linen, LRV 66 vs 63.2.
- Warmer
- Manchester Tan (Lab b* 12.0 vs 9.4). Manchester Tan reads yellow; Natural Linen reads greige.
- North rooms
- About the same: both keep their brightness and color about equally (L* 81.2 vs 80.4 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 3.3, noticeably different. At 3.3, test both: on a full wall the difference will show.
See each color
More comparisons with Manchester Tan
More comparisons with Natural Linen
Manchester Tan (BM HC-81) is slightly darker than Natural Linen (SW 9109) and slightly warmer: LRV 63.2 vs 66, deltaE 3.3 (noticeably different).
Side by side
| Measure | Manchester Tan | Natural Linen | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Benjamin Moore | Sherwin-Williams | |
| Color code | HC-81 | SW 9109 | |
| Hex | #DBD2BC | #DFD3C3 | |
| RGB | 219, 210, 188 | 223, 211, 195 | |
| HSL | 43°, 30%, 80% | 34°, 30%, 82% | |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 63.2 | 66 | −2.8 |
| Lab L* | 84.4 | 85.1 | −0.7 |
| Lab a* | -0.6 | 1.5 | −2.0 |
| Lab b* | 12.0 | 9.4 | +2.6 |
| Undertone | Warm Yellow | Warm | |
| Temperature | warm | warm | |
| Color family | Beige | Beige |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Manchester Tan (BM HC-81), published as #DBD2BC
#CAC8BA
#ECDCBC
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 2.8 LRV points lighter (66 vs 63.2), 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 12.0, so it is the cooler of the two and offsets warm direct sun
- Pick Manchester Tan (BM HC-81) to warm a north-facing room, because it is the warmer of the two (Lab b* 12.0), which counters cool indirect light
Closest matches to Manchester Tan in other brands
Closest matches to Natural Linen in other brands
Common questions
- Is Manchester Tan the same color as Natural Linen?
- They are noticeably different: a CIEDE2000 difference of 3.3. Most people can see the difference between Manchester Tan and Natural Linen side by side.
- Which is lighter, Manchester Tan or Natural Linen?
- Natural Linen, with an LRV of 66 against 63.2.
Full pages
Related comparisons
Sources: Manchester Tan: 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.