Behr Elusive Dawn MQ2-36
| Code: | MQ2-36 |
| Name: | Elusive Dawn |
| Brand: | Behr |
What color is Behr Elusive Dawn?
Behr Elusive Dawn is a calming soft gray that exudes understated elegance and sophistication. This versatile hue pairs beautifully with warm neutrals like beige and taupe, creating a harmonious and inviting ambiance. For a pop of contrast, consider pairing Elusive Dawn with deep navy or emerald green accents to add depth and visual interest to your space. Whether used as the main color or as an accent, MQ2-36 Elusive Dawn effortlessly complements a variety of design styles, from modern to traditional, making it a timeless choice for any room in your home.
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What are Behr Elusive Dawn undertones?
Elusive Dawn has a clear red undertone based on its position in the color space. We identify undertones by isolating the pure hue (separating it from lightness and saturation), which avoids distortions caused by tints, tones, and shades.
This method is generally more reliable than judging undertones on a white background.
HEX value:
#D5BFAD
RGB code:
213, 191, 173
Is Behr Elusive Dawn MQ2-36 cool or warm?
With a hue of 27°, this Beige reads warm on the HSL color wheel.
MQ2-36 Elusive Dawn HSL code: 27, 32%, 76%
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 Elusive Dawn
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 (Kelvins).
Use the slider to see how this Beige shade looks under different lighting:


4000K
Coordinating colors.
Colors that go with Behr Elusive Dawn:
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
MQ2-36
Elusive Dawn
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 Elusive Dawn with a red hue, complementary colors are those with a green hue close to 207, such as Behr Nor'Wester and Absolute Zero.
LRV of Elusive Dawn
Elusive Dawn has an LRV of 54.86% and refers to Light Medium colors that reflect half of the incident 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 54.86%, 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. To copy the code, just click the icon to the right of it.
| Format | Code | |
|---|---|---|
| HEX | #d5bfad | |
| RGB Decimal | 213, 191, 173 | |
| RGB Percent | 83.53%, 74.90%, 67.84% | |
| HSV | Hue: 27° Saturation: 18.78% Value: 83.53% | |
| HSL | hsl(27, 32, 76) | |
| CMYK | Cyan: 0.0 Magenta: 10.33 Yellow: 18.78 Key: 16.47 | |
| YIQ | Y: 195.526 I: 18.894 Q: -0.948 | |
| XYZ | X: 53.613 Y: 54.426 Z: 47.205 | |
| CIE Lab | L:78.71 a:4.894 b:11.923 | |
| CIE Luv | L:78.71 u:14.479 v:16.241 | |
| Decimal | 14008237 | |
| Hunter Lab | 73.774, 0.616, 13.705 |
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