Butternut vs Tawny Owl

ButternutCloverdale PaintvsTawny OwlDuluxΔE 11.6Distinct difference

Butternut (Cloverdale Paint) and Tawny Owl (Dulux) come from different manufacturers. Butternut reads as beige-greige, while Tawny Owl reads as greige-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 3-point LRV gap — 13 for Butternut vs 10 for Tawny Owl — means Butternut will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 11.6 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Butternut vs Tawny Owl in Real Spaces

2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Butternut and Tawny Owl 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

A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Butternut reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.

ButternutButternut EX186 by Cloverdale Paint — Living Room

@visualization

Tawny OwlDulux Tawny Owl cozy living room paint

@homehouseabode

Dining Room

Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The brightness difference is modest but present — Butternut gives the walls a little more lift.

ButternutButternut EX186 by Cloverdale Paint — Dining Room

@visualization

Tawny OwlDulux Tawny Owl cozy dining room paint

@fuji.at.home

Color Details

Butternut
Cloverdale Paint · EX186
Hex#79634A
LRV13.5
BrandCloverdale Paint
NumberEX186
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessDark
Tawny Owl
Dulux
Hex#5F5A4C
LRV10.3
BrandDulux
Number
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessDark

Butternut vs Tawny Owl Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Butternut on one side and Tawny Owl on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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 Butternut comparisons

See how Butternut stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
Butternut
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Butternut
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
Butternut
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Butternut reads slightly lighter

Purbeck Stone
Butternut
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone is the lighter choice

Evergreen Fog
Butternut
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Evergreen Fog reads noticeably lighter

Mizzle
Butternut
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle is the lighter choice

Agreeable Gray
Butternut
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray is the lighter choice

Denim Drift
Butternut
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Denim Drift reads noticeably lighter

Tranquil Dawn
Butternut
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn is the lighter choice

Balboa Mist
Butternut
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Vintage Vogue
Butternut
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Nearly identical in tone

Pale Green
Butternut
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Pale Green reads noticeably lighter

Pine Needle
Butternut
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Butternut reads slightly lighter

Cement grey
Butternut
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Cement grey reads slightly lighter

Black grey
Butternut
Black grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Black grey
LRV 6

Butternut reads slightly lighter

Piazza
Butternut
Piazza
Tikkurila
Piazza
LRV 65

Piazza is the lighter choice

Humble Yellow
Butternut
Humble Yellow
Jotun
Humble Yellow
LRV 57

Humble Yellow is the lighter choice

Windmill Lane
Butternut
Windmill Lane
Little Greene
Windmill Lane
LRV 31

Windmill Lane reads noticeably lighter

Senses
Butternut
Senses
Jotun
Senses
LRV 41

Senses is the lighter choice

Lamp Black
Butternut
Lamp Black
Little Greene
Lamp Black
LRV 3

Butternut reads slightly lighter

Washed Linen
Butternut
Washed Linen
Jotun
Washed Linen
LRV 55

Washed Linen is the lighter choice

Tea with Florence
Butternut
Tea with Florence
Little Greene
Tea with Florence
LRV 18

Tea with Florence reads slightly lighter

Thames Fog
Butternut
Thames Fog
Valspar
Thames Fog
LRV 27

Thames Fog reads noticeably lighter

Ocean Abyss
Butternut
Ocean Abyss
Behr
Ocean Abyss
LRV 7

Butternut reads slightly lighter

Classic Silver
Butternut
Classic Silver
Behr
Classic Silver
LRV 48

Classic Silver is the lighter choice

Teton Blue
Butternut
Teton Blue
Behr
Teton Blue
LRV 31

Teton Blue reads noticeably lighter

RAL 110-2
Butternut
RAL 110-2
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-2
LRV 72

RAL 110-2 is the lighter choice

RAL 110-1
Butternut
RAL 110-1
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-1
LRV 80

RAL 110-1 is the lighter choice

Paper
Butternut
Paper
Tikkurila
Paper
LRV 88

Paper is the lighter choice

Passageway
Butternut
Passageway
Valspar
Passageway
LRV 14

Nearly identical in tone