Coriander Seed
What Coriander Seed Actually Looks Like
Coriander Seed is a rich, grounded brown that sits in that range between warm tan and soft bark. It reads as a full, mature color rather than a pale neutral. On a large wall it has real weight and presence without feeling heavy in the way a true dark chocolate brown would.
Coriander Seed Undertones
The color carries warm golden and faintly olive undertones. In good natural light those golden notes come forward and the color feels almost spiced and honeyed. In lower or cooler light the olive quality can take over, shifting the color toward a more muted, earthy green-brown. North-facing rooms may read noticeably cooler and murkier than south-facing ones.
Where Coriander Seed Works Best
Coriander Seed works well in spaces where you want warmth and enclosure without going fully dark. Living rooms, dining rooms, and studies take to it easily. It suits rooms with natural wood elements, leather, linen, and aged brass because those materials echo its own warm, organic quality. It is less successful in small windowless spaces, where its mid-dark value can feel close and dim.
Where to put Coriander Seed
On all four walls of a living room, Coriander Seed creates a cocooning effect that feels comfortable rather than oppressive, especially with warm incandescent or filament bulb lighting. Balance it with off-white trim so the color reads as intentional rather than muddy.
Dining rooms are a natural fit. The warm, spiced tone flatters candlelight and low pendant lighting beautifully, and it makes wood furniture look richer without competing with it.
In a study it reads focused and settled. It works best here when the room gets some natural light during the day, since the mid-dark value in an all-artificial-light space can feel a bit flat by evening.
As a bedroom color it delivers warmth and calm. Pair it with warm white or natural linen bedding to keep the room from feeling too dark, and make sure window treatments let in daylight.
What to Pair With Coriander Seed
No specific Benjamin Moore coordinating colors were provided in our database for this color, so pairings below are drawn from general established knowledge of its warm brown character.
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Colors that clash with Coriander Seed
If an adjacent room or the trim is a cool gray or blue-gray, the warm golden-olive undertones in Coriander Seed will look muddy and discordant by comparison.
A stark, bluish bright white trim can make the color look dull and yellowish because the contrast highlights any muted quality in the pigment.
Gray stone or cool slate flooring will pull against the warm undertones and make the whole room feel slightly off.
Common questions
The precise LRV is 23.34, which places it firmly in the mid-dark range. It will absorb a fair amount of light, so sample it in the actual room before committing, especially in spaces with limited natural light.
It can, but the olive undertone will become more prominent and the color will read cooler and more muted in consistent north light. Sample it on a large board and observe it at different times of day before deciding.
An eggshell finish is a practical choice for most walls, giving you a slight sheen that adds depth to the color without amplifying imperfections. Matte works well if the walls are in good condition and you want maximum color richness. Reserve satin for higher-traffic areas where washability matters.
Yes. The AF prefix indicates it is part of Benjamin Moore's Affinity Color Collection, a curated palette of colors designed to coordinate with one another across the full range.