Char Brown vs Rustic Taupe
Both from Benjamin Moore's palette. These are both beige-greiges, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within beige-greige to land. Rustic Taupe (LRV 19) reflects noticeably more light than Char Brown (LRV 9), a difference of 10 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean red, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. With a ΔE of 16.0, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Char Brown vs Rustic Taupe in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Char Brown and Rustic Taupe in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Living Room
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The LRV gap is large enough that Rustic Taupe will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Char Brown would.
Color Details
Char Brown vs Rustic Taupe Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Char Brown on one side and Rustic Taupe on the other.
Digital color is approximate. These simulations are generated from the manufacturer's hex values and overlaid on grayscale room photos — your screen's calibration, brightness, and viewing angle all affect how they render. Before committing to either color, test physical samples in your own space under the light you actually live with.
More Char Brown comparisons
See how Char Brown stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 9, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 9), opening up a space where Char Brown encloses it.
Char Brown reads slightly lighter (LRV 9 vs 6), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 9, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 9, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 9), opening up a space where Char Brown encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 9, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 9), opening up a space where Char Brown encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 9), opening up a space where Char Brown encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 9, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (9 vs 4) makes Char Brown the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 9), opening up a space where Char Brown encloses it.
Bancha reads slightly lighter (LRV 13 vs 9), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 9), opening up a space where Char Brown encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 9, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 21 vs 9, Artichoke is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 9), opening up a space where Char Brown encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 9), opening up a space where Char Brown encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 9), opening up a space where Char Brown encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 9, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 12 and 9, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
With LRVs of 9 and 8, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 9), opening up a space where Char Brown encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 9, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 12 and 9, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 9), opening up a space where Char Brown encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 9, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.