Golden Rule
With a focus on versatile tones, Golden Rule (6383) is a standout Orange in our database. It was selected for this featured gallery for its ability to add character and warmth to any space. See it applied across 10 real world scenarios and find professional pairing data below.
Hex
#CC9249
LRV
33.88
Golden Rule's Color Strip
Golden Rule is the sixth shade on this 7-color strip, sitting between Ceremonial Gold and Cut The Mustard. The strip spans from Jersey Cream at the lightest end to Cut The Mustard at the deepest. Strip 130 lines up the full value range so you can see exactly where this color lands among its closest relatives.
Golden Rule in Real Rooms
Golden Rule has a medium LRV of 33.88 — it adds real depth and will read noticeably darker as natural light fades. It's neutral in temperature and , making it adaptable across different lighting conditions and room orientations. Grouped in the Orange family, the photos below show it applied in a front door, dining room, home office, bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, mudroom, living room, patio and house.
1 Front Door Photo
Using Golden Rule for the front door allows the hardware to be the "jewelry" of the house. Whether you choose a modern long-bar handle or a traditional knocker, the color provides the perfect stage for the metalwork to shine.
classy front door featuring Golden Rule by Sherwin-Williams
@mybudgetrecipes
1 Dining Room Photo
The color Golden Rule has a way of making wood furniture look its best. Whether you have a dark mahogany table or a light oak sideboard, the undertones of the paint will pull out the natural beauty and grain of the wood.
Golden Rule paint in a minimalist dining room
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1 Home Office Photo
Golden Rule in an office encourages a "deep work" mindset. Its depth and maturity create an environment of gravitas, helping you take your own projects and ambitions more seriously through the sheer atmosphere of the room.
Sherwin-Williams Golden Rule in a unique home office
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1 Bathroom Photo
In the bathroom, Golden Rule brings a spa-like intentionality to the space. It responds well to task lighting and natural light alike, and pairs beautifully with white fixtures, warm wood vanities, or brushed brass hardware for a polished, restful result.
Golden Rule — coastal bathroom
@mybudgetrecipes
1 Bedroom Photo
Golden Rule creates a bedroom that feels deliberately calm rather than accidentally plain. The color absorbs the first rays of morning light without bouncing them back harshly, which means waking up in this environment feels gentle and gradual. Keep the window treatments simple and let the walls do the heavy lifting.
A art deco bedroom painted in Golden Rule
@mybudgetrecipes
1 Kitchen Photo
The challenge with kitchen color is longevity: it needs to look right at 7am under bright task lights and at dinner with the pendants dimmed low. Golden Rule manages to bridge all three lighting scenarios with ease, which is a rarer quality in a paint pigment than it sounds.
Golden Rule — modern luxury kitchen
@mybudgetrecipes
1 Mudroom Photo
In a mudroom, Golden Rule provides a clean "reset" as you enter the home. It's a palette cleanser that helps you leave the stress of the outside world at the door, creating a transition zone that is both functional and beautiful.
Golden Rule paint in a industrial mudroom
@mybudgetrecipes
1 Living Room Photo
When applied to living room walls, Golden Rule creates a sense of "visual quiet." It eliminates the erratic shadows found in busier spaces, instead providing a steady, rhythmic tone that ties together disparate furniture styles. It's the common thread that makes a room full of heirlooms and modern pieces feel like a cohesive collection.
A hollywood regency living room painted in Golden Rule
@mybudgetrecipes
1 Patio Photo
Golden Rule is particularly effective when used on a garden wall as a backdrop for plants. The deep tone makes the bright greens of leaves and the vibrant colors of flowers look almost neon in their intensity, creating a high-design garden look.
coastal patio featuring Golden Rule by Sherwin-Williams
@mybudgetrecipes
1 House Photo
On a traditional or historic home, Golden Rule acts as a restorative force. It brings out the dignity of the original craftsmanship while making the structure feel relevant to the 21st century. It's a "new classic" in every sense.
Golden Rule color — traditional house inspiration
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Coordinating Colors
Crisp Linen reflects far more light (LRV 80 vs 34), opening up a space where Golden Rule encloses it.
Extra White reflects far more light (LRV 86 vs 34), opening up a space where Golden Rule encloses it.
At LRV 34 vs 15, Golden Rule is decisively the brighter choice.
Trim Color
Crisp Linen reflects far more light (LRV 80 vs 34), opening up a space where Golden Rule encloses it.
Similar Colors
Honeycomb reads slightly lighter (LRV 37 vs 34), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 3-point LRV gap (37 vs 34) makes Butternut the marginally brighter of the two.
With LRVs of 34 and 32, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Ceremonial Gold reads slightly lighter (LRV 39 vs 34), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 35 vs 34), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 5-point LRV gap (34 vs 29) makes Golden Rule the marginally brighter of the two.
Golden Rule reads slightly lighter (LRV 34 vs 30), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saffron Thread reads slightly lighter (LRV 39 vs 34), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Bakelite Gold reads slightly lighter (LRV 38 vs 34), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 3-point LRV gap (37 vs 34) makes Trinket the marginally brighter of the two.
Complementary Colors
A 9-point LRV gap (43 vs 34) makes Dockside Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
With LRVs of 35 and 34, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Hinting Blue reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 34), opening up a space where Golden Rule encloses it.
At LRV 65 vs 34, Mild Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (38 vs 34) makes Aleutian the marginally brighter of the two.
A 4-point LRV gap (38 vs 34) makes Solitude the marginally brighter of the two.
Golden Rule reads slightly lighter (LRV 34 vs 29), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Lighter Colors
Blonde reflects far more light (LRV 54 vs 34), opening up a space where Golden Rule encloses it.
Rustic Adobe reads slightly lighter (LRV 38 vs 34), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 3-point LRV gap (37 vs 34) makes Butternut the marginally brighter of the two.
A 4-point LRV gap (38 vs 34) makes Alchemy the marginally brighter of the two.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 34 vs 33), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Darker Colors
A 5-point LRV gap (34 vs 29) makes Golden Rule the marginally brighter of the two.
A 8-point LRV gap (34 vs 26) makes Golden Rule the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV NaN vs NaN, Monarch Gold is decisively the brighter choice.
Golden Rule reads slightly lighter (LRV 34 vs 30), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Golden Rule reflects far more light (LRV 34 vs 18), opening up a space where Sconce Gold encloses it.