Benjamin Moore Mars Red 2172-20
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| Official page: | Mars Red 2172-20 |
| Code: | 2172-20 |
| Name: | Mars Red |
| Brand: | Benjamin Moore |
What color is Benjamin Moore Mars Red?
Benjamin Moore Mars Red 2172-20 is a deep, earthy red with a noticeable brown cast that keeps it grounded rather than bright. Its muted warmth gives walls a dense, clay-like presence, especially in dining rooms, libraries, or entryways with substantial trim. In strong daylight, Mars Red can read as a softened brick red, while lower light draws out its darker, more wine-toned side. Pair it with warm ivory, putty beige, or softened black for contrast, and use natural oak, aged brass, leather, and terracotta to reinforce its organic character. This shade is particularly effective on an accent wall, built-in cabinetry, or a front door where its depth can be appreciated up close.
Benjamin Moore Mars Red reviews (23 photos)
View the photos of real spaces painted with this red that were not included in specific categories. Close-ups, painted furniture, storages and dressers, hallways, stairs and ceilings.
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What are Benjamin Moore Mars Red undertones?
Mars Red is a midtone, soft 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:
146, 71, 55
Is Benjamin Moore Mars Red cool or warm?
warm
cool
At 11° on the HSL hue wheel, this dark red sits firmly on the warm side.
2172-20 Mars Red HSL code: 11, 45%, 39%
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 Mars Red
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 red shade looks under different lighting:
4000K
Coordinating colors.
Colors that go with Benjamin Moore Mars Red:
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 Mars Red with a red hue, complementary colors are those with a green hue close to 191, such as Benjamin Moore Aegean Teal and Blue Lace.
LRV of Mars Red
Mars Red has an LRV of 11.36% 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 11.36%, 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 | #924737 |
| RGB Decimal | 146, 71, 55 |
| RGB Percent | 57.25%, 27.84%, 21.57% |
| HSV | Hue: 11° Saturation: 62.33% Value: 57.25% |
| HSL | hsl(11, 45, 39) |
| CMYK | Cyan: 0.0 Magenta: 51.37 Yellow: 62.33 Key: 42.75 |
| YIQ | Y: 91.601 I: 49.834 Q: 10.886 |
| XYZ | X: 14.798 Y: 10.895 Z: 4.937 |
| CIE Lab | L:39.403 a:30.177 b:24.204 |
| CIE Luv | L:39.403 u:55.732 v:20.3 |
| Decimal | 9586487 |
| Hunter Lab | 33.008, 22.262, 14.237 |
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