Hopsack reads as a warm, earthy medium tan on the wall, the kind of color that feels neither too light to disappear nor too dark to close a room in. Its LRV of 23.8 puts it firmly on the deeper end of the neutral range, so it absorbs more light than it bounces back. That depth is the point. Rooms coated in Hopsack feel settled and grounded rather than bright and airy, and that quality is what makes it interesting.
The name comes from the loosely woven fabric, and the color earns it. There is a texture-like warmth to it, a richness that shifts depending on what is around it. Against pale trim it steps forward as a clearly saturated tan. Against darker wood tones it recedes into a sophisticated neutral backdrop. It is the kind of color that photographs warmer than it reads in person, so do not let swatches on a screen set your expectations too firmly.
The undertone picture here is genuinely contested, and it is worth sitting with that rather than flattening it. Sherwin-Williams files Hopsack in the Reds, Oranges and Terracottas family, and some reviewers see exactly that, a golden, faintly orange warmth especially under incandescent or warm LED light. In those conditions the tan can take on a richer, almost amber quality.
Other reviewers push back on that read entirely. They argue Hopsack stays clean, that the warmth is beige-taupe in character and never tips into overt orange or yellow territory. From this angle it reads as a grounded neutral with golden undertones that are present but not aggressive. Both camps are looking at the same color under different conditions, which tells you something important: light source matters enormously here.
Natural daylight, especially cool north light, tends to pull the beige-taupe quality forward and keep the orange family reading quiet. Warm artificial light does the opposite, drawing out the golden and faintly terracotta cast. If your room runs warm at night, expect the color to shift noticeably between morning and evening. Sample on a large board and live with it through a full day before committing.
Hopsack earns its place in living rooms and dining rooms where you want warmth without a color commitment that reads as obviously decorative. Its LRV of 23.8 means it creates an intimate, cocooning feel, which plays well in rooms where people gather in the evenings under warm light. Dining rooms in particular benefit from that shift toward richness once the sun goes down.
Bedrooms are another strong fit, especially in homes with natural wood furniture or dark hardwood floors. The color wraps the room rather than energizing it, which is usually what you want in a sleeping space. It pairs naturally with the warm tones already present in wood grain, leather, linen, and woven textiles, so rooms with those materials pull together without much effort.
For exterior use, Hopsack holds up well in traditional and craftsman contexts. It works on siding where you want a warm tan that reads as natural and grounded rather than painted-on. On front doors it makes a confident, earthy statement. It also surfaces in cabinet applications where the depth of LRV 23.8 gives painted cabinetry real visual weight. South and west facing rooms get the most from it, since those orientations bring out warmth. In north facing rooms the cooler light will nudge the color toward the more neutral, taupe-leaning read, which is still usable but different from what you see in sunlit samples.
In a living room, Hopsack creates the kind of settled warmth that makes a space feel lived-in and comfortable. Pair it with dark hardwood floors and warm white trim in Divine White (SW 6105) for a traditional layered look. The LRV of 23.8 means the room will feel cozy rather than expansive, so it suits spaces where intimacy is the goal.
Dining rooms are where Hopsack really earns its keep, especially at night. Under warm candlelight or incandescent fixtures the golden, faintly terracotta undertones come alive and give the room a rich, enveloping quality. Keep the ceiling lighter, in a warm white, so the space does not feel too heavy.
Hopsack wraps a bedroom without making it feel dramatic. It works particularly well with natural wood furniture and linen textiles, which share its earthy warmth. Because its LRV sits at 23.8 it absorbs light and quiets a room down, which most people want from a sleeping space.
On exteriors, Hopsack reads as a grounded warm tan that suits craftsman, farmhouse, and traditional architecture well. Paired with dark trim and natural stone it looks intentional and cohesive. On a front door it adds earthy character without veering into the more obviously decorative territory of a deep red or forest green.
On cabinetry the depth of LRV 23.8 gives Hopsack real visual weight, making it feel substantial rather than washed out. It works in kitchens where you want warmth but not the sweetness of a cream or off-white. Brass or unlacquered copper hardware reads naturally against it.
Hopsack layers best with colors that either echo its warmth or provide clean contrast without jarring against its earthy base. Sherwin-Williams coordinates it with three colors that each open a different direction. Divine White (SW 6105) is the natural trim and ceiling choice, a warm white that keeps the palette cohesive instead of cutting in with a cool, bluish contrast. Nomadic Desert (SW 6107) sits lighter on the value scale and shares Hopsack's warm sandy character, making it a reliable option for an adjacent room or a lighter accent where you want continuity rather than contrast. Jade Dragon (SW 9129) is the move if you want a complementary note, a soft sage green that plays off Hopsack's warm tan the way foliage reads against dry earth.
Beyond the official coordinates, the color takes well to natural materials: raw linen, jute, dark walnut, aged brass, and matte black. Avoid cool grays and stark whites in the same space since those will pull the warmth out of Hopsack and make it look muddy rather than rich.
All comparisons are matched against Hopsack at LRV 23.9.
Cool gray floors pull in a different color temperature from Hopsack's warm tan base. The contrast does not read as intentional, it reads as a mismatch, making the wall color look muddy or uncertain.
A cold, bright white trim will fight Hopsack's warm undertones and make the color look orange or dirty by contrast. The brighter the white, the more it amplifies the clash.
Strong cool blues and purples sit on the opposite end of the color wheel from Hopsack's warm tan family. In the same room they create tension that neither color wins, and Hopsack ends up looking more orange than it actually is.
Hopsack is a warm, earthy medium tan neutral named after the loosely woven fabric. It sits in Sherwin-Williams's warm neutrals collection, with a hex value of #9E8163 and an RGB of 158, 129, 99. On the wall it reads as a rich, grounded tan with golden warmth that shifts slightly depending on your light source.
Hopsack's undertones are warm, tan, and golden, but reviewers do not agree on exactly how those read in practice. Sherwin-Williams places it in the Reds, Oranges and Terracottas family, and some see a faint golden-orange cast especially under warm artificial light. Other reviewers say it stays clean and reads as a beige-taupe that never tips into overt orange or yellow. The honest answer is that both are correct depending on your light source. Sample it on a large board and observe it at different times of day.
Hopsack is unambiguously warm. Its undertones are tan and golden, it files in the orange-red color family, and its warmth increases under incandescent or warm LED lighting. There is no cool gray or blue pull in this color.
Hopsack has an LRV of 23.8, which puts it on the darker end of the neutral range. It absorbs more light than it reflects, so rooms will feel intimate and cocooning rather than bright and open. This is an asset in dining rooms and bedrooms, but worth noting in smaller rooms with limited natural light.
Sherwin-Williams coordinates Hopsack with Divine White (SW 6105), a warm white that works well on trim and ceilings; Nomadic Desert (SW 6107), a lighter sandy tan for adjacent spaces or lighter accents; and Jade Dragon (SW 9129), a soft sage green that provides earthy complementary contrast. Beyond paint, natural materials such as dark walnut, aged brass, jute, and linen pair naturally with its warm tan base.
Hopsack's Sherwin-Williams code is SW 6109. Its hex value is #9E8163 and its RGB is 158, 129, 99.
Yes to all three. On exteriors it reads as a grounded warm tan that suits craftsman, farmhouse, and traditional architecture well. On front doors it makes an earthy, confident statement. On cabinets its LRV of 23.8 gives the painted surface real visual weight, and brass or copper hardware reads naturally against it.
