Badlands
What Badlands Actually Looks Like
Badlands is a mid-depth terracotta red with a dusty, sun-baked quality to it. Think of the color of dry clay earth or weathered brick, softened just enough to feel livable rather than intense. It sits comfortably between a true red-orange and a muted salmon, and the depth of its tone keeps it from reading as a pale or pastel color in any light.
Badlands Undertones
The RGB values tell a clear story here. Red dominates, but the green and blue channels are close enough together that this color carries a warm, brownish-pink quality rather than a punchy orange-red. In bright natural light it leans more coral and salmon. In dim or artificial light it settles into a richer, earthier brick tone. The dustiness in the color comes from that underlying warmth being tempered slightly, which is what separates it from a straightforward terra cotta.
Where Badlands Works Best
Badlands works well on a single accent wall, in a cozy dining room, or in a space where you want warmth and a grounded, earthy presence without going full-saturated red. It has enough depth, with an LRV just under 25, that it will make a room feel more intimate. Smaller rooms with limited natural light will feel enclosed with this color, so consider that before committing to all four walls. In a well-lit south or west facing room it can carry an entire space comfortably.
Where to put Badlands
This is a natural fit. The warmth of Badlands wraps a dining room in an enveloping, intimate tone that flatters candlelight and incandescent bulbs. Go with all four walls here and let the color do the work.
On a single fireplace wall or the wall behind a sofa, Badlands adds a grounded earthy anchor without overwhelming the room. Keep the remaining walls a warm off-white to let it breathe.
Entryways often lack natural light, and in that context Badlands will read darker and more brick-like. That can be a deliberate, dramatic effect, but go in knowing it will shift from its true tone in low light.
The earthy, grounded quality of this color can make a home office feel settled rather than sterile. Pair it with warm wood furniture and natural fiber materials to keep the scheme cohesive.
What to Pair With Badlands
No coordinating colors are listed in our database for Badlands 1293 at this time. As a general pairing direction, this color responds well to warm off-whites for trim, deep walnut or warm oak wood tones, aged brass or copper metal finishes, and textiles in cream, rust, or dusty olive.
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Colors that clash with Badlands
If adjacent rooms or trim carry a cool blue-gray tone, Badlands will look muddy and unintentional at the transition. The warm and cool pulls fight each other.
A stark, bright white trim can make Badlands feel garish because the contrast is too sharp and the white reads cold against the warm earthy body color.
Gray tile, cool slate, or blue-toned hardwood will pull against the warmth of Badlands and make the wall color feel off.
Common questions
The precise LRV is 24.63, which puts it in the medium-dark range. That is dark enough to read with real presence on an accent wall without being so deep that it becomes difficult to work with. It will make a room feel smaller and more intimate, which is often exactly the point.
It can, but go in with clear expectations. North light is cool and blue-toned, and in that context Badlands will pull toward a deeper, more muted brick rather than showing its warmer coral-salmon side. If the room is small and north-facing, all four walls in this color may feel quite heavy.
Eggshell is the standard choice for most living areas and dining rooms. It gives just enough sheen to make the color look rich and clean without turning your walls into a reflective surface. Flat or matte works if you want the most earthy, chalky appearance and the room does not take a lot of abuse.
Yes. Benjamin Moore offers this color in both interior and exterior formulas.