Behr Barely Brown (N180-1) records 76% LRV and 90.4 L*_HK lightness (#E8E2DA, RGB 232/226/218). Its CIELAB coordinates (L*=90.14, a*=0.65, b*=4.62, C*=4.67, h°=82°) place N180-1 in the Warm Yellow-Cream class. Top cross-brand matches for Barely Brown (N180-1) are Benjamin Moore Cloudy Gray (2107-70, ΔE=1.1) and Sherwin-Williams Toque White (SW 7003, ΔE=0.5).
Behr Barely Brown (N180-1, #E8E2DA) is compared against competitor swatches under ISO/CIE 11664-6 (ΔE2000) and ASTM E308.
| Role / Brand | Paint Color Name & Code | HEX Code | LRV % | Undertone Profile | CIE ΔE 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOURCE (Behr) | Barely Brown (N180-1) | #E8E2DA | 76% | Warm Yellow-Cream | 0.00 (Ref) |
| Benjamin Moore #1 | Cloudy Gray (2107-70) | #EAE4DE | 78.35% | Warm Yellow-Cream | ΔE 1.10 (97.7%) |
| Benjamin Moore #2 | White Winged Dove (1457) | #E5E0DB | 75.16% | Warm Yellow-Cream | ΔE 1.46 (96.9%) |
| Sherwin-Williams #1 | Toque White (SW 7003) | #E7E2DA | 76.55% | Warm Yellow-Cream | ΔE 0.50 (99%) |
| Sherwin-Williams #2 | Zurich White (SW 7626) | #E6E1D9 | 75.79% | Warm Yellow-Cream | ΔE 0.56 (98.8%) |
Cross-room ΔE=1.1 equivalent for N180-1: Cloudy Gray (2107-70) delivers +2.3 LRV points lighter than Barely Brown (N180-1) with -0.9 softer C*=3.77 chroma.
Cross-room ΔE=1.46 equivalent for N180-1: White Winged Dove (1457) delivers identical 75.16% reflectance to N180-1 with -1.52 softer C*=3.15 chroma.
Cross-room ΔE=1.59 equivalent for N180-1: Lacey Pearl (2108-70) delivers +2.6 LRV points lighter than Barely Brown (N180-1) with -1.39 softer C*=3.28 chroma.
Sub-threshold ΔE=0.5 match for N180-1: Toque White (SW 7003) delivers identical 76.55% reflectance to N180-1 with matched C*=4.51 saturation.
Sub-threshold ΔE=0.56 match for N180-1: Zurich White (SW 7626) delivers identical 75.79% reflectance to N180-1 with matched C*=4.52 saturation.
Sub-threshold ΔE=0.99 match for N180-1: White Heron (SW 7627) delivers identical 75.88% reflectance to N180-1 with +0.95 higher C*=5.62 chroma.
Coordinated ceiling, trim, wall, sightline, and accent pairings for Barely Brown (#E8E2DA, LRV 76%).
Barely Brown (N180-1, b*=4.62) counteracts cool northern sky cast without shifting dingy.
Wire-Brushed European Oak & Travertine with N180-1 (#E8E2DA)
3000K–3500K CRI 95+ LED for N180-1 (2700K shifts to #FFDAB9)
Need Barely Brown (N180-1, LRV 76%) brighter or deeper? Adjacent Behr fan-deck steps around #E8E2DA:
Calculate exact gallon volume for Behr Barely Brown (N180-1) accounting for standard North American door (21 sq.ft.) and window (15 sq.ft.) deductions.
Code N180-1 (Barely Brown) reflects 76% of incident D65 light. Measured in CAM16-UCS uniform space, Behr Barely Brown (N180-1) registers J'=91.7, a'=0.30, and b'=3.30 with HSL (34°, 23%, 88%) and Helmholtz-Kohlrausch perceived value 90.4 L*_HK. Because N180-1 carries a*=0.65 red-green and b*=4.62 yellow-blue balance at chroma C*=4.67, Barely Brown projects a warm warm yellow-cream character across drywall and millwork.
Thermal lighting shifts Behr N180-1 predictably. Under 5000K noon daylight, Barely Brown (N180-1) holds its native #F0E0D1 swatch; at 4000K cool office LED, N180-1 adapts to #F7DFC8; at 3500K halogen, Barely Brown transitions to #FCDEC2; at 3000K residential LED, N180-1 warms to #FFDCBC; and under 2700K evening bulbs, Barely Brown (N180-1) settles at #FFDAB9.
When cross-matching Behr Barely Brown (N180-1, #E8E2DA), Benjamin Moore Cloudy Gray (2107-70, #EAE4DE, LRV 78.35%) scores ΔE2000=1.1 and CAM16=1.02, followed by White Winged Dove (1457, ΔE=1.46). In Sherwin-Williams, Toque White (SW 7003, #E7E2DA, LRV 76.55%) achieves ΔE2000=0.5 ahead of Zurich White (SW 7626, ΔE=0.56). Coordinate N180-1 with Shea (RD-W9) ceilings, Ambience White (PR-W8) trim, Foggy London (PPU25-09) hallways, and Ashes (UL260-9) accents.
Spectrophotometric answers for homeowners, interior designers, and painting contractors specifying Behr Barely Brown.
Behr Barely Brown (N180-1) records an official Light Reflectance Value of 76% (#E8E2DA) and a Helmholtz-Kohlrausch perceived lightness of 90.4 L*_HK.
At 76% reflectance, Barely Brown (N180-1) sits in the high-reflectance architectural tier, bouncing daylight across Behr walls while maintaining HSL (34°, 23%, 88%).
CIELAB telemetry (L*=90.14, a*=0.65, b*=4.62) classifies Behr Barely Brown (N180-1) as a Warm Warm Yellow-Cream with C*=4.67 chroma and h°=82° hue.
Pair Barely Brown (N180-1) with North & East Windows for N180-1 (76% LRV) and Wire-Brushed European Oak & Travertine with N180-1 (#E8E2DA). Under 2700K evening bulbs, N180-1 shifts from #E8E2DA toward #FFDAB9.
Closest verified equivalents to Behr Barely Brown (N180-1, #E8E2DA) are Benjamin Moore Cloudy Gray (2107-70, #EAE4DE) at ΔE2000=1.1 and Sherwin-Williams Toque White (SW 7003, #E7E2DA) at ΔE2000=0.5.
Both 2107-70 and SW 7003 matches are verified against Barely Brown (N180-1) in CIE ΔE2000 and CAM16-UCS space.
Alongside Behr Barely Brown (N180-1, LRV 76%), our Ou-Luo harmony engine specifies Behr Ambience White (PR-W8, #EBECEC, LRV 83.7%) in Semi-Gloss or Satin.
Pairing Ambience White (PR-W8) with Barely Brown (N180-1) frames door casings and baseboards cleanly.