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A deep, earthy brown - one of the finest neutrals. Its comfortable, confident, and luxurious character will add much value to your property.

LRV 6
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A timeless paint color, one of the finest neutrals, and a great representative of the 2024 Colormix Forecast – the velvety shade of dark brown Sealskin from Sherwin-Williams is one of the trendiest this season. Although close to black, this heavy yet warm, earthy shade embraces the broadest range of emotions and integrates into many design styles. You’ll love its benefits, but mostly, its effect on your home’s comfort and design. Still, before fully committing, we suggest you explore Sealskin’s specifications. 

Sealskin Paint Color Features

Similar to the seal skin color, this dark, imposing brown with a surprisingly soft finish has many benefits. For a start, it is one of those deep and moody colors that can make a large room feel more comfortable if you use this shade on all the walls. Conversely, adding this brown color through small accents can bring visual interest to a small room without making it dull. Additionally, the earthy tinge in Sealskin has a solid connection to the outdoors. That’s why Sealskin pairs so well with greens and blues. Last but not least, there is a sophisticated air in this stark and unconditional brown that renders luxury, abundance, and opulence. The key is knowing how to style it correctly in your home, yet later on this.

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Sealskin: Is It Warm or Cold?

With a subtle deviation from true neutral colors, Sealskin slightly leans toward the warm side. That’s what makes this brown shade as comfortable as it is – the trace of earthy warmth. Even its RGB value – the red, green, and blue mix used to create this color – shows an almost invisible prevalence of red, responsible for warmth.

How Does Lighting Affect Sealskin?

Sealskin behaves differently in a north-facing space from this dark brown in a south-exposed room. In the first case, the cold natural light will make this brown tone feel considerably cooler, and the slightest touch of shadow will bring it closer to black. On the other side, Sealskin will preserve its warm, earthy effect in rooms with southern exposure. This effect doubles up in spaces with eastern exposure at sunrise and western exposure at sunset, when the sun rays directly flood a space painted brown. 

Experts recommend using Sealskin in large rooms with perfect lighting conditions. Even when it comes to artificial light, choose warm white or yellow sources to keep Sealskin warm and inviting. 

Sealskin LRV

The lower the LRV, the less light a paint color reflects. With a Light Reflectance Value of 6, Sealskin bounces around 6% of the light it receives. Considering that 0 stands for black and 100 for white, it is no wonder this brown tone needs to be used in large, well-lit spaces. 

Sealskin Undertones

On Sherwin-Williams’ website, we can see that Sealskin is part of the Neutral color family. Still, most colorists agree it is a dark brown shade. Its neutrality is ensured by the subtle hint of gray that behaves differently under particular lighting conditions. The rest is about the play of light on its surface. For instance, warm natural or artificial light will make the illusion that a subtle trace of earthy yellow resurfaces.

Similar Colors

Dark colors and earthy shades, in particular, are some of the trendiest right now. No wonder there are so many dark brown hues from giant paint brands. We managed to find a few perfect alternatives for Sealskin, in case you need a similar, lighter, or dark substitute.

  • Black Fox SW 7020 by Sherwin-Williams – just slightly lighter and warmer than Sealskin, this brown-black tone is meant for sophisticated design concepts;
  • Night Horizon 2134-10 by Benjamin Moore – a more saturated and considerably brighter shade of earthy brown;
  • Espresso Beans PPU5-01 by Behr – like its namesake, this dark yet warm chocolate brown feels more cheerful in contrast with the much darker Sealskin;
  • Phantom Mist PPG1102-7 by PPG Paints – a dash of violet adds intrigue to this similarly deep black-brown.

Coordinating Colors

Let’s start with the trim color to pair with walls painted in Sealskin. Colorists say soft and slightly warm shades of white are the best. For a perfect monochromatic palette, consider lighter tans and taupes. To add contrast, you can start with light off-whites, grays, and beiges. For more visual interest, contrast Sealskin with sage or blue shades. Here are the expert picks from SW:

  • Origami White SW 7636 by Sherwin-Williams – one of the best white tones with soft yet crisp violet undertones, perfect to pair with more saturated colors;
  • Elephant Ear SW 9168 by Sherwin-Williams – a mid-tone neutral with a solid, slightly warm gray undertone;
  • Dovetail SW 7018 by Sherwin-Williams – another mid-tone neutral with soft greige undertones, one of the finest, suitable for combinations with statement colors;
  • Moderate White SW 6140 by Sherwin-Williams – a peachy off-white with an impressively charming effect that will warm up the solid black-brown Sealskin;
  • Steely Gray SW 7664 by Sherwin-Williams – a cool, played-down gray with exceptionally calming skills due to its soft storm blue undertones;
  • Refuge SW 6228 by Sherwin-Williams – a self-assured green-blue washed out by gray that will make an escape out of any interior.

Use of Sealskin in Interior Design

Sealskin works with a multitude of interior design styles, such as Rustic, Industrial, Traditional, Classic, Farmhouse, and Modern. In addition, it is a great matching color for light neutrals and vivid, natural colors, which are in trend. Metallic accents of gold and natural texture have a special connection with Sealskin. You can use this paint color as a primary color or accent to add comfort to your home, consolidate a rather elegant style, or enrich the ambiance with quiet luxury. Take a closer look at designers’ favorite ways to style Sealskin in interior design!

Dark Brown Accent

The velvet effect in Sealskin will add refined air to your home, even if applied in small doses. If you have a small room and you cannot risk making it feel even smaller, adding Sealskin drop-by-drop sounds perfect. You can paint a bookcase, an accent wall, the kitchen cabinets, an interior door, or the bathroom vanity as long as it is accompanied by a light neutral. 


Brown Primary Color

Take on the challenge and paint all the walls dark brown. This better be a large room with access to as much natural light as possible. That’s the only condition. As for the rest, you’ll ensure a moody ambiance that will make your living room, bedroom, or kitchen look expensive and luxurious – a kind of quiet luxury or Old Money. 


Bedroom

Our recent paint color reviews primarily cover dark paint colors, and they all work great in the bedroom, creating a trendy-now moody vibe. Undoubtedly, Sealskin will look stylish on all walls in modern, traditional, or rustic interiors. Pair it with light-colored bedding, and don’t hesitate to opt for open-shelf decor in bright colors to lift up the mood. Oranges, greens, and blues harmoniously stand out next to dark brown.


Living Room

You may think such a dark color has no place in the living room. Still, if you style it properly, you’ll fall in love. Brown-painted walls paired with a classic or traditional style, including the trendy Rustic, will enrich the space with warmth and comfort. Light-colored textiles will balance the color palette, while wooden textures will emphasize the natural effect. Think of additional pots with indoor plants to brighten the palette.


Kitchen

Reminiscent of natural wood color, this dark brown is a real find for kitchen cabinets in Classic, Traditional, Farmhouse, and Rustic-designed kitchens. Sealskin’s deep, earthy color base adds richness and elegance to a seemingly utilitarian space. Transform your kitchen into a luxurious space, and every cooking process will become even more pleasant. Solid colors like this velvet brown seamlessly surround the space with texture.


Bathroom

Dark brown in the bathroom is a whole new story. No wonder designers love moody colors so much. They look astonishing when used as main colors, even in small spaces like the bathroom. Add value to your property and enrich this room with intrigue by decorating it with a lavish color like Sealskin. You’ll achieve a similarly stylish effect regardless of the design style. Pair Sealskin with dark wood and natural stone in a modern bathroom or vintage furniture and gold hardware in a luxe bathroom that pays tribute to the past.

Use of Sealskin for the House Exterior

It would be a shame to speak about a paint color whose saturation won’t fade out under direct natural light and not suggest using it as an exterior paint color. You’ll be impressed by how fancy it looks on exterior walls as well as front doors. Its deep and dark character makes it stand out as a solid, stately brown that inspires confidence. 

Sherwin-Williams’ Sealskin SW 7675 paint color is one the best dark brown shades. This underrated neutral has much potential. While interior designers are constantly rediscovering brown, be among the first to use this moody brown with an unmatchable natural character in your home.

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