Rosemary (SW 6187) vs Basil (SW 6194)
Quick decision
- Lighter
- Basil, LRV 15 vs 14.
- Warmer
- Rosemary, both green-gray (Lab b* 6.7 vs 6.3).
- North rooms
- Basil: keeps more brightness (L* 41.1 vs 39.7 in north light) and drifts less gray (chroma drop 0.9 vs 2.5).
- Trim that works
- White Mint SW 6441, #E0E7DA, LRV 78: the Sherwin-Williams white closest in hue to both.
- Closeness
- deltaE 3.5, noticeably different. At 3.5, test both: on a full wall the difference will show.
See each color
Rosemary (SW 6187) is about as light as Basil (SW 6194) and about as warm: LRV 14 vs 15, deltaE 3.5 (noticeably different).
Side by side
| Measure | Rosemary | Basil | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams | Sherwin-Williams | |
| Color code | SW 6187 | SW 6194 | |
| Hex | #64695C | #626E60 | |
| RGB | 100, 105, 92 | 98, 110, 96 | |
| HSL | 83°, 7%, 39% | 111°, 7%, 40% | |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 14 | 15 | −1 |
| Lab L* | 43.6 | 45.1 | −1.4 |
| Lab a* | -4.5 | -7.5 | +2.9 |
| Lab b* | 6.7 | 6.3 | +0.4 |
| Undertone | Neutral | Cool Green | |
| Temperature | warm | warm | |
| Color family | Green | Green |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Rosemary (SW 6187), published as #64695C
#55605B
#74725C
Basil (SW 6194), published as #626E60
#52655E
#727760
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 Basil (SW 6194) for a small room or a north-facing room, because it is 1 LRV points lighter (15 vs 14), so it bounces back more of the limited light
Closest matches to Rosemary in other brands
Closest matches to Basil in other brands
Common questions
- Is Rosemary the same color as Basil?
- They are noticeably different: a CIEDE2000 difference of 3.5. Most people can see the difference between Rosemary and Basil side by side.
- Which is lighter, Rosemary or Basil?
- Basil, with an LRV of 15 against 14.
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.