Behr Elkhound MQ1-56
Contentsshow +hide -
| Code: | MQ1-56 |
| Name: | Elkhound |
| Brand: | Behr |
What color is Behr Elkhound?
Behr Elkhound MQ1-56 is a muted, medium-depth taupe with a noticeable rosy-brown cast. Its low saturation keeps the color grounded and earthy rather than overtly pink, while the warm undertone gives it more softness than a standard gray. In bright natural light, Elkhound can read as a dusty warm gray with mauve notes; under warmer lamps, its brown and clay-like qualities become more apparent. It suits bedrooms, dining rooms, and living spaces where a deeper neutral is wanted without going charcoal-dark. Pair it with creamy off-whites, weathered oak, aged brass, charcoal accents, or soft mushroom-colored textiles.
Try before you buy
100% accurate
reusable paint samples
Peel, stick,
and repeat
Twice painted
with real paint
Next day
delivery
What are Behr Elkhound undertones?
Elkhound is a midtone, muted earthy brown. The HEX sample leans red; this describes its measurable digital hue direction, not a hidden paint pigment. Warm bulbs can make it look creamier or more golden, while cool daylight may mute that warmth and pull it closer to beige or greige.
HEX value:
RGB code:
137, 114, 105
Is Behr Elkhound cool or warm?
warm
cool
With a hue of 17°, this dark pink reads warm on the HSL color wheel.
MQ1-56 Elkhound HSL code: 17, 13%, 47%
Hue - degree on a color wheel from 0 to 360. 0 is red, 120 is green, and 240 is blue.
Saturation is expressed as a percentage. At 0%, it appears as a shade of grey, and at 100%, it is in full color.
Lightness is also a percentage value. 0% is black, and 100% is white.
How light temperature affects Elkhound
Natural Lighting. During the day, natural light shifts from about 2000 K at sunrise/sunset to 5500–6500 K at noon.
In addition, natural-light temperature depends on its direction:
| Direction of sunlight | Visible temp. | Hue | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| North | Cool | Bluish | All day |
| East | Warm | Yellow | Before noon |
| West | Warm | Orange-red | After noon |
| South | Warm | Orange-yellow | All day |
Artificial Lighting. When choosing bulbs, pay attention to their color temperature in Kelvins.
Use the slider to see how this dark pink shade looks under different lighting:
4000K
Coordinating colors.
Colors that go with Behr Elkhound:
Monochromatic color scheme
This scheme consists of various shades, tints, and tones of a single color. While it offers a perfect combination of hues, without accent décor it may become monotonous.
Lighter shades
Darker shades
Complementary color scheme
This color scheme is a combination of two shades that are opposite each other on the color wheel. The high contrast between these colors creates a vibrant and dynamic visual effect. For the color Elkhound with a red hue, complementary colors are those with a green hue close to 197, such as Behr Oceanic Climate and Nor'Wester.
LRV of Elkhound
Elkhound has an LRV of 18.9% and refers to Medium Dark which means that this color reflects very little light. Why LRV is important?
Light Reflectance Value measures the amount of visible and usable light that reflects from a painted surface.
Simply put, the higher the LRV of a paint color, the brighter the room you will get.
The scale goes from 0% (absolute black, absorbing all light) to 100% (pure white, reflecting all light).
Act like a pro: When choosing paint with an LRV of 18.9%, pay attention to your bulbs' brightness. Light brightness is measured in lumens. The lower the paint's LRV, the higher lumen level you need. Every square foot of room needs at least 40 lumens. That means for a 200 ft2 living room you'll need about 8000 lumens of light – e.g., eight 1000 lm bulbs.
Color codes
We have collected almost every possible color code you could ever need.
Not sure what the difference between HEX and RGB is? We break down color models in plain language. Understanding color models
| Format | Code |
|---|---|
| HEX | #897269 |
| RGB Decimal | 137, 114, 105 |
| RGB Percent | 53.73%, 44.71%, 41.18% |
| HSV | Hue: 17° Saturation: 23.36% Value: 53.73% |
| HSL | hsl(17, 13, 47) |
| CMYK | Cyan: 0.0 Magenta: 16.79 Yellow: 23.36 Key: 46.27 |
| YIQ | Y: 119.851 I: 16.598 Q: 2.065 |
| XYZ | X: 18.884 Y: 18.374 Z: 15.913 |
| CIE Lab | L:49.946 a:7.505 b:8.353 |
| CIE Luv | L:49.946 u:14.853 v:9.649 |
| Decimal | 9007721 |
| Hunter Lab | 42.864, 3.624, 7.995 |
Color equivalents
CSP-355
Riverbank
Benjamin Moore
N150-5
French Truffle
Behr
N170-5
Chocolate Heart
Behr
SW 6032
Dutch Cocoa
Sherwin Williams
1002-9C
Soft Rabbit Brown
Valspar US
2005-9B
Zanzibar Spice
Valspar US
PPU5-17
Cardamom Spice
Behr
SW 0001
Mulberry Silk
Sherwin Williams
SW 6046
Swing Brown
Sherwin Williams
V131-5
Nest
Valspar US
2003-9B
Sea Lion Brown
Valspar US
1001-9B
Thorny Brush
Valspar US
N180-6
Derby
Behr
1014
Chocolate Pudding
Benjamin Moore
1236
Sorrel Brown
Benjamin Moore
N160-5
Chocolate Delight
Behr
N190-6
Nut Brown
Behr
SW 7525
Tree Branch
Sherwin Williams