Behr Secret Journal MQ1-57
Contentsshow +hide -
| Code: | MQ1-57 |
| Name: | Secret Journal |
| Brand: | Behr |
What color is Behr Secret Journal?
Behr Secret Journal MQ1-57 is a muted medium-depth brown with a noticeable rosy clay cast. Its low saturation keeps the color grounded and soft rather than strongly red or orange, giving walls a quiet, earthy presence. In bright daylight, Secret Journal can read as a dusty warm taupe-brown, while lower light brings out its deeper cocoa-like side. It suits dining rooms, studies, and bedrooms where a darker neutral can add definition without feeling stark. Pair it with creamy off-whites, weathered wood, aged brass, charcoal textiles, or muted olive accents.
Try before you buy

100% accurate
reusable paint samples
Peel, stick,
and repeat
Twice painted
with real paint
Next day
delivery
What are Behr Secret Journal undertones?
Secret Journal is a midtone, muted earthy red. 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:
124, 96, 85
Is Behr Secret Journal cool or warm?
With a hue of 17°, this brown reads warm on the HSL color wheel.
MQ1-57 Secret Journal HSL code: 17, 19%, 41%
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 Secret Journal
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 brown shade looks under different lighting:


4000K
Coordinating colors.
Colors that go with Behr Secret Journal:
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
MQ1-57
Secret Journal
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 Secret Journal 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 Secret Journal
Secret Journal has an LRV of 13.75% 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 13.75%, 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 | #7c6055 |
| RGB Decimal | 124, 96, 85 |
| RGB Percent | 48.63%, 37.65%, 33.33% |
| HSV | Hue: 17° Saturation: 31.45% Value: 48.63% |
| HSL | hsl(17, 19, 41) |
| CMYK | Cyan: 0.0 Magenta: 22.58 Yellow: 31.45 Key: 51.37 |
| YIQ | Y: 103.118 I: 20.22 Q: 2.5 |
| XYZ | X: 14.135 Y: 13.307 Z: 10.416 |
| CIE Lab | L:43.223 a:9.633 b:10.639 |
| CIE Luv | L:43.223 u:18.509 v:11.53 |
| Decimal | 8151125 |
| Hunter Lab | 36.479, 5.326, 8.606 |
Color equivalents
T584
Andy's Deck
Valspar US
SW 6047
Hot Cocoa
Sherwin Williams

N160-6
Spanish Chestnut
Behr
1015
Cowboy Boots
Benjamin Moore
1231
Wynwood
Benjamin Moore
2004-9B
Brown Bark
Valspar US
N130-6
River Rocks
Behr
1004-9B
Marron
Valspar US
SW 6033
Bateau Brown
Sherwin Williams

MQ2-34
Bistro
Behr
2106-30
Pine Cone
Benjamin Moore
HDC-AC-05
Cocoa Shell
Behr
SW 2836
Quartersawn Oak
Sherwin Williams



