Benjamin Moore French Press AF-170
| Official page: | French Press AF-170 |
| Code: | AF-170 |
| Name: | French Press |
| Brand: | Benjamin Moore |
What color is Benjamin Moore French Press?
Benjamin Moore AF-170 French Press exudes a rich and luxurious charm, reminiscent of a warm cup of coffee on a crisp autumn morning. This deep and sophisticated hue pairs beautifully with soft neutrals like Benjamin Moore OC-17 White Dove, creating a cozy and inviting ambiance. For a more dramatic contrast, consider pairing French Press with a bold accent color like Benjamin Moore HC-154 Hale Navy to add depth and character to any space. The versatility of French Press makes it an excellent choice for both traditional and modern interiors, adding a touch of elegance and warmth to any room.
French Press for living room
Check out this stunning Dark color used in real living rooms. Explore how this beige shade can create a unique space

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What are Benjamin Moore French Press undertones?
French Press 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:
#5F4D43
RGB code:
95, 77, 67
Is Benjamin Moore French Press AF-170 cool or warm?
With a hue of 21°, this brown reads warm on the HSL color wheel.
AF-170 French Press HSL code: 21, 17%, 32%
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 French Press
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 brown shade looks under different lighting:


4000K
Coordinating colors.
Colors that go with Benjamin Moore French Press:
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
AF-170
French Press
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 French Press with a red hue, complementary colors are those with a green hue close to 201, such as Benjamin Moore Aegean Teal and Blue Lace.
LRV of French Press
French Press has an LRV of 9.89% and refers to Dark colors which means that this color almost does not reflect 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 9.89%, 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 | #5F4D43 | |
| RGB Decimal | 95, 77, 67 | |
| RGB Percent | 37.25%, 30.20%, 26.27% | |
| HSV | Hue: 21° Saturation: 29.47% Value: 37.25% | |
| HSL | hsl(21, 17, 32) | |
| CMYK | Cyan: 0.0 Magenta: 18.95 Yellow: 29.47 Key: 62.75 | |
| YIQ | Y: 81.242 I: 13.94 Q: 0.696 | |
| XYZ | X: 8.386 Y: 8.146 Z: 6.439 | |
| CIE Lab | L:34.286 a:5.846 b:8.778 | |
| CIE Luv | L:34.286 u:11.565 v:9.258 | |
| Decimal | 6245699 | |
| Hunter Lab | 28.542, 2.501, 6.603 |
Color equivalents
SW 2808
Rookwood Dark Brown
Sherwin Williams

2109-20
Hearthstone Brown
Benjamin Moore
HC-70
Van Buren Brown
Benjamin Moore

