Dark Clove reads as a deep, enveloping warm brown on the wall. Its LRV of 5.1 places it among the darkest colors Sherwin-Williams offers, meaning it absorbs far more light than it reflects. In a room with good natural light, it shows real dimension, a muted, earthy brown with a soft red-gold warmth that gives it life. In low light or at night under artificial fixtures, that warmth retreats and the color flattens into something close to a very dark brown, nearly black. The shift is dramatic enough that many reviewers describe it as feeling like two different colors depending on the time of day.
The color reads neither flat nor stark. It sits in the warm neutral family, which means it does not have the coldness of a charcoal or the severity of a true black, but it is still deeply saturated and will make a space feel smaller and more intimate. On large walls it creates a cocoon-like atmosphere. On a single accent wall or on cabinetry, it reads rich and grounded without overwhelming the room. The muted, low-chroma nature of the brown keeps it from feeling garish or overtly rustic. It is sophisticated without trying hard.
The undertones in Dark Clove are warm, but the research makes clear there is some nuance to how that warmth reads. The dominant read is a soft red-gold cast, earthy and muted rather than bright or obvious. Most reviewers land on a warm brown with a faint reddish warmth, not a true red, not orange, but a low-key underlying heat that becomes more visible in strong natural daylight.
Where opinions diverge is in how prominent that red-gold cast feels. In north-facing rooms or under cool-toned LED lighting, some reviewers find the warmth largely invisible and read the color as a straightforward dark neutral brown, almost taupe-adjacent. In south- or west-facing rooms with warm afternoon light, others see the reddish warmth come forward noticeably. Neither camp is wrong. The undertone is genuinely light-dependent, which is common at this LRV but especially pronounced with Dark Clove because the color has so little reflectance to work with.
It is firmly warm, not cool. Reviewers consistently agree on that point. If your space runs cool and you want the warmth to show up reliably, pair it with warm-toned trim and warm white accents rather than bright or blue-white whites, which will push the color toward its darker, neutral read. The coordinating Creamy and Aged White both lean warm and will reinforce the red-gold dimension rather than fight it.
Dark Clove works best in spaces where you want intimacy and a sense of enclosure rather than openness and light. Living rooms and bedrooms are the most common applications in the research. In a living room, an all-over application creates a moody, cozy environment that reads well against warm wood tones, leather, and textured fabrics. In a bedroom, the darkness can feel restful rather than oppressive, especially if natural light is managed with layered window treatments.
Accent walls are a low-commitment way to introduce the color. Because the LRV is 5.1, a single Dark Clove wall will anchor a space without requiring you to fully commit to the enveloping effect. It reads especially strong behind a bed headboard or behind built-in shelving where the darkness gives objects displayed against it real visual presence. Cabinetry is another strong use: lower kitchen cabinets or a bathroom vanity in Dark Clove grounds the space and pairs well with warmer stone counters or unlacquered brass hardware.
For exterior use, Dark Clove appears on Sherwin-Williams room-type lists, but the color database flags it as interior availability. Confirm with your Sherwin-Williams store that you are specifying an exterior-formula base before using it outside. If the exterior base is available, it would work well on front doors, shutters, or as a body color on a house with warm brick or natural wood accents. South- and west-facing orientations will let the red-gold warmth show; north-facing exteriors may read colder and darker than you expect. As with any color at this LRV, sample large and view it at different times of day before committing.
An all-over application in the living room creates a grounded, enveloping space that feels intentional and calm. Warm wood floors and upholstery in camel, rust, or terracotta tones will amplify the red-gold warmth in Dark Clove. Layered lighting matters here since the color absorbs so much light, so plan for multiple warm-toned light sources to keep the room from feeling dim.
Dark Clove on bedroom walls reads as restful and cocoon-like, especially at night when it deepens toward near-black brown. Warm white bedding against the dark walls creates a clean contrast that keeps the room from feeling heavy. Paired with Creamy (SW 7012) on the ceiling, the room stays in a warm register from floor to ceiling.
A single Dark Clove accent wall, particularly behind a bed or a sofa, gives the room a strong focal point without committing to full immersion. The depth at LRV 5.1 means art, shelving, and furniture placed in front of it get real visual pop. Keep the remaining walls in a warm light neutral to balance the contrast.
Lower kitchen cabinets or a bathroom vanity in Dark Clove grounds the space with a warm, earthy anchor. Warm metal hardware in unlacquered brass or oil-rubbed bronze suits it well, and lighter stone or quartz countertops provide contrast without breaking the warm palette. The muted quality of the brown keeps it from reading as chocolate or overly trendy.
On a front door, Dark Clove reads as a sophisticated deep brown with more warmth than a standard near-black. Verify exterior formula availability before specifying. It works especially well against warm brick, natural wood siding, or cream-colored trim, where the red-gold undertone can harmonize with the surrounding materials.
Dark Clove pairs most naturally with other warm tones that echo its earthy quality without competing with it. Sherwin-Williams coordinates it with Creamy (SW 7012), a warm off-white with a buttery yellow lean, and Aged White (SW 9180), a softer warm white that reads almost like a light linen. Either works well as trim or ceiling color alongside Dark Clove walls, keeping the palette in the same warm family and letting the deep brown anchor the scheme without clashing against a stark white. The contrast is strong given the LRV gap between Dark Clove at 5.1 and any light trim, but because all the players stay warm, the overall effect is cohesive rather than jarring.
For accent colors, the coordinating palette includes a muted rose that adds a complementary warmth. Beyond the coordinating list, the research points toward quiet warm neutrals layered through textiles and wood finishes as the most successful approach. Cooler tones like a soft blue-green or a quiet gray-blue can also work as accent colors placed against Dark Clove walls, because the contrast makes the brown's warmth read stronger by opposition. The key is to keep surrounding colors relatively muted. High-chroma or very bright colors next to a deep neutral at LRV 5.1 tend to look jarring rather than intentional.
All comparisons are matched against Dark Clove at LRV 5.1.
Pairing Dark Clove with a stark or blue-toned bright white on trim and ceilings creates a jarring contrast. The coolness of the white will push the brown toward its darker, less warm read and the two tones will fight rather than complement.
Bold, saturated accent colors like a bright cobalt, vivid orange, or kelly green placed next to Dark Clove at LRV 5.1 read as jarring. The deep neutral background amplifies saturation in surrounding colors, and very bright hues can look garish rather than intentional against it.
In a north-facing room with limited natural light, Dark Clove's LRV of 5.1 means the space will feel very dark. The red-gold warmth largely disappears under cool indirect light, and the color can feel oppressive or flat rather than cozy and rich.
Dark Clove is a deep, warm brown with a muted red-gold undertone. It sits in the dark end of the warm neutrals family with an LRV of 5.1, which means it absorbs most light and reads as a rich, almost espresso-like brown that shifts toward near-black in low-light conditions.
The undertone is a soft, low-chroma red-gold warmth, earthy rather than bright. In strong natural daylight, especially in south- or west-facing rooms, that reddish warmth comes forward and gives the color depth. In cooler or lower light, it retreats and the color reads as a more neutral dark brown. Reviewers consistently agree the color is warm, but how prominently the red-gold shows depends heavily on your room's light conditions.
Dark Clove is firmly warm. Reviewers across independent sources agree on this consistently. It carries a muted red-gold warmth that places it well within the warm neutral family, and it pairs best with other warm tones rather than with cool grays or blue-based whites.
The LRV is 5.1, which is very low. That means it reflects only about 5 percent of light and absorbs the rest. It is one of the darkest colors in the Sherwin-Williams line, and you should plan your lighting carefully before committing to it in a space that already lacks natural light.
The Sherwin-Williams color code is SW 9183. The hex value is #4C3D31 and the RGB is 76, 61, 49.
Dark Clove coordinates well with Creamy (SW 7012) and Aged White (SW 9180) as trim and ceiling colors. Both stay warm and prevent the contrast from feeling cold. For accents, muted warm neutrals in taupes and warm whites layer naturally, and quiet cooler tones like a soft blue-green or dusty rose can work as contrast accents because the opposition makes Dark Clove's warmth read more clearly. Avoid high-chroma or cool-leaning whites and accent colors, which will fight the deep warm brown rather than complement it.
Dark Clove appears on Sherwin-Williams room-type lists for exterior use, but the color data flags it as interior availability. Before specifying it for any outdoor application, confirm with your Sherwin-Williams store that an exterior formula in this shade is available. For front doors and cabinets, it works very well: on a front door it reads as a sophisticated deep warm brown with more character than a flat near-black, and on cabinetry it provides a rich, grounded anchor that pairs well with warm metal hardware and lighter countertops.
