Sherwin-Williams Macadamia (SW 6142) represents the perfect marriage of sophistication and warmth in interior design.
This rich, creamy neutral stands out for its versatility, effortlessly complementing a wide range of design styles and color palettes.
Loved by homeowners and designers alike, it brings warmth and sophistication to any room.
Macadamia, from Sherwin-Williams’ curated palette, offers versatility across design styles while retaining its unique character.
When renovating your home or updating a room, understanding this color guides your design choices.
A deeper understanding ensures your space feels cohesive, stylish, and timeless for years to come.
Understanding Paint Color Basics
Paint colors consist of three key components: hue, saturation, and value.
These elements work together to create the final appearance on your walls.
Light interaction, surrounding colors, and visual perception all influence how paint looks in different settings.
Grasping these fundamentals reveals why a single color can shift in tone depending on lighting or surrounding decor.
This insight is crucial when choosing refined neutrals like Macadamia to ensure the desired look is achieved.
Color Terminology
Understanding essential color terminology empowers you to make confident paint decisions and communicate effectively with designers about your vision and preferences.
These numbers help you understand the true nature of this beautiful paint.
| COLOR PROPERTY | VALUE |
|---|---|
| LRV | 49 |
| RGB | 204 / 183 / 155 |
| Hex Value | #CCB79B |
Value indicates the lightness or darkness of a color on a scale from white to black, affecting how spacious or intimate a room feels.
LRV (Light Reflectance Value) measures the amount of light a color reflects, with higher values making spaces appear larger and brighter.
Understanding these terms helps you make more informed color decisions that align with your design goals.
Undertones
Sherwin-Williams Macadamia features complex undertones that create its refined character:
- Warm beige – Primary undertone providing foundational warmth
- Yellow hints – Add richness, especially in natural daylight
- Cream notes – Become prominent under warm artificial lighting
- Subtle gray – Prevents excessive yellow appearance in cool lighting
These undertones work together to create a decidedly warm neutral that maintains classiness across different lighting conditions while influencing how coordinating colors appear in your space.
Psychology of the Color
Colors profoundly impact our emotional and psychological well-being, and Macadamia embodies characteristics that promote comfort, stability, and refinement.
As a warm neutral, Macadamia creates environments that feel welcoming and secure, encouraging relaxation and social interaction.
- Macadamia promotes comfort and stability and creates welcoming, secure environments.
- Ideal for bedrooms and living spaces
- Macadamia’s Beige and cream tones naturally calm the mind and reduce stress.
The nature of Macadamia also conveys reliability and timelessness, making it an excellent choice for those who want their homes to feel established and enduring rather than trendy or temporary.
This warm neutral fosters social interaction while creating grounding spaces that feel established and enduring.
Why Choose Sherwin-Williams Macadamia?
Sherwin-Williams Macadamia stands out among neutral paint colors for its exceptional versatility and genteel character.
Unlike stark whites or cool grays that can feel sterile, Macadamia provides warmth and richness while maintaining the flexibility to work with diverse design styles and color schemes.
1. Key Features
Macadamia offers remarkable adaptability across different lighting conditions and room orientations.
Its warm undertones prevent the muddy appearance common in north-facing rooms or low-light spaces.
The color maintains integrity from small powder rooms to expansive open areas, creating seamless flow throughout homes.
Its cream-beige balance works as both primary wall color and coordinating neutral for bolder accents.
2. Durability
Sherwin-Williams formulates Macadamia with high-quality pigments and binders, ensuring exceptional color retention and performance.
Its neutral nature resists fading better than bold colors, while medium depth camouflages daily scuffs and marks.
With quality primers and thorough surface preparation, Macadamia retains its warm, rich tone over time.
This durability makes it a smart, lasting choice for homeowners seeking grace and reliability.
3. Versatility
Macadamia’s cosmopolitan nature makes it ideal for various texture applications and decorative techniques.
Whether applied with traditional rollers, decorative glazing, or over textured surfaces, it responds beautifully to different methods.
The color’s warm undertones enhance natural shadows and highlights on textured walls.
Macadamia creates a dimensional quality that pure whites or cool colors cannot achieve.
4. Texture Pattern
Macadamia’s warm cream-beige undertones enhance various wall texture patterns beautifully.
On smooth surfaces, it creates sophisticated, clean lines with rich depth.
Textured finishes like orange peel or knockdown with warm undertones enhance shadows and highlights, creating dimension.
Eggshell and satin sheens work well, offering durability and highlighting texture.
Macadamia’s versatility, durability, and refined appearance make it a superior choice for homeowners seeking a neutral that provides both beauty and practical performance in their living spaces.
Room-by-Room Color Recommendations with Macadamia
Each room presents unique opportunities to showcase the color’s versatility while addressing specific functional and aesthetic needs.
1. Living Spaces and Open Floor Plans
- In living rooms and open floor plans, Macadamia creates a foundation that encourages both relaxation and entertainment.
- The color’s warm undertones make large spaces feel more intimate and welcoming, while its neutral nature allows furniture and artwork to take center stage.
Consider using Macadamia on the main walls while incorporating slightly deeper or lighter coordinating colors on accent walls or architectural features to create visual interest and define different areas within open concepts.
2. Bedrooms and Relaxation Areas
- Bedrooms benefit tremendously from Macadamia’s calming and restorative qualities.
- The color’s warm undertones create a cozy atmosphere conducive to rest, while its cosmopolitan nature maintains an adult, refined appearance.
In master bedrooms, Macadamia works beautifully with luxury bedding in whites, creams, and soft blues, creating a spa-like retreat.
3. Kitchens and High-Traffic Zones
Kitchens and high-traffic areas showcase Macadamia’s practical benefits alongside its aesthetic appeal.
- The color’s ability to hide minor marks and scuffs makes it ideal for busy family spaces.
- Macadamia pairs beautifully with both traditional wood cabinetry and contemporary white or gray cabinets, providing flexibility as kitchen trends evolve.
The color also complements natural materials like stone and tile, commonly used in kitchen applications.
4. Bathrooms and Spa-like Retreats
In bathrooms, Macadamia creates a spa-like atmosphere that promotes relaxation and self-care.
- The color’s warm undertones counteract the cool feeling often associated with tile and fixtures.
- Its neutral nature provides a timeless backdrop for both traditional and contemporary bathroom designs.
Macadamia works particularly well in powder rooms, where its cosmopolitan character makes a strong first impression on guests.
The consistent use of Macadamia throughout these various spaces creates cohesion and flow.
Color Pairings and Combinations
Successfully pairing Macadamia with other colors requires understanding its warm undertones and neutral character.
The color serves as an excellent foundation for both monochromatic and complementary color schemes, providing flexibility for various design preferences and styles.
Deeper accent colors like navy, forest green, or rich burgundy create dramatic contrast while maintaining sophistication.
The key to successful color pairing with Macadamia lies in respecting its warm character while choosing colors that enhance rather than compete with its natural grace.
Complementary Trim Colors
Selecting the right trim color significantly impacts the overall success of your Macadamia color scheme.
The warm undertones in Macadamia work beautifully with both traditional white trims and warmer off-white options,
1. Moderate White (SW 6140)
Moderate White (SW 6140) is a paint color from Sherwin-Williams.
It’s a soft, warm white with subtle gray undertones that creates a calming, cosmopolitan look.
This color works well as a neutral backdrop in both modern and traditional spaces.
2. Classic Light Buff (SW 0050)
Classic Light Buff (SW 0050) is a warm, creamy off-white from Sherwin-Williams.
It’s a gentle, inviting color that brings softness and warmth to any space without being too yellow or beige.
Classic Light Buff creates a timeless, comfortable backdrop that feels collected and lived-in rather than stark or cold.
3. Roycroft Adobe (SW 0040)
Roycroft Adobe (SW 0040) is a rich, earthy terracotta color from Sherwin-Williams’ Historic Color Collection.
It’s a warm, cosmopolitan reddish-brown that brings depth and character to spaces.
It creates a striking contrast if used as an accent with those lighter colors, or could anchor a warm, earthy color palette.
Creating Cohesive Color Schemes
Building a cohesive color scheme around Macadamia involves understanding how colors flow from room to room and how lighting affects color perception throughout your home.
Successful cohesive schemes often use Macadamia as a connecting neutral while introducing colors that reflect your personal style.
This approach ensures visual continuity while providing enough variety to maintain interest throughout your home.
| SCHEME TYPE | MAIN WALL COLOR | TRIM / CEILING / ACCENT SHADES | OTHER ROOMS / ACCENT SHADES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warm | Macadamia (SW 6142) | Alabaster (SW 7008) | Spiced Cider (SW 7702) |
| Cool | Macadamia (SW 6142) | ||
| Monochromatic | Macadamia (SW 6142) | Nomadic Desert (SW 6107) Kilim Beige (SW 6106) | Latte (SW 6108) Sand Dollar (SW 6099) |
This approach ensures visual continuity while providing enough variety to maintain interest throughout your home.
The key is maintaining consistent undertones across your chosen colors.
Coordinating with Furniture and Decor
Successfully integrating Macadamia into your decor requires considering how its color interacts with different materials, finishes, and furniture styles.
The color’s versatility lets it complement various design elements and serve as a cosmopolitan backdrop for your collections and furnishings.
1. Wood Tones
Macadamia works exceptionally well with a wide range of wood tones, from light oak and maple to rich cherry and walnut.
The color’s warm undertones complement the natural warmth found in wood grain, creating harmonious combinations that feel organic and inviting.
Light wood tones create fresh, Scandinavian-inspired looks, while darker woods produce more traditional, established atmospheres.
The key is ensuring your wood finishes enhance rather than clash with Macadamia’s cosmopolitan character.
2. Metals
Metal finishes pair beautifully with Macadamia, with warm metals like brass, bronze, and copper creating the most harmonious combinations.
These warm metallics enhance Macadamia’s cozy character while adding glamour and sophistication.
Cooler metals like brushed nickel and chrome provide a pleasing contrast while maintaining contemporary appeal.
The neutral nature of Macadamia allows you to mix metal finishes successfully, creating layered, collected looks that feel intentional rather than accidental.
3. Decor
When selecting decorative accessories for Macadamia rooms, consider elements that enhance the color’s cosmopolitan warmth.
Natural materials like woven baskets, ceramic pottery, and stone accessories complement the organic feeling of the color.
Textiles in coordinating warm neutrals, soft blues, or muted greens create depth while maintaining harmony.
Artwork with warm tones or black and white photos creates focal points without overwhelming Macadamia’s serene atmosphere.
The versatility of Macadamia allows for both minimalist and maximalist decorating approaches, providing a cosmopolitan foundation that adapts to changing personal styles and seasonal decorating preferences.
Similar Paint Colors: Perfect Alternatives to Macadamia (SW 6142)
While Macadamia offers unique characteristics, several similar colors provide comparable warmth and refinement for those seeking alternatives.
Understanding these options helps ensure you select the perfect neutral for your specific needs and preferences.
1. Softer Tan (SW 6141)
This is a light, warm neutral with subtle yellow undertones.
- It’s part of Sherwin-Williams’ beige family and creates a soft, inviting atmosphere.
- Softer Tan works well in living rooms, bedrooms, and dining areas where you want a cozy but not overwhelming warmth.
It pairs beautifully with white trim and complements both traditional and contemporary furnishings.
2. Basket Beige (SW 6143)
A slightly deeper neutral than Softer Tan, Basket Beige has balanced warm undertones that lean toward golden yellow.
- It’s versatile enough for whole-home use and creates a cosmopolitan, timeless look.
- This color works particularly well in spaces with good natural light and can serve as an excellent backdrop for artwork and furniture.
It’s warm enough to feel inviting but neutral enough to work with various décor styles.
3. Dapper Tan (SW 6144)
The richest of the three, Dapper Tan, is a medium-toned neutral with strong warm undertones.
- It has more depth and can create a more dramatic, cosmopolitan look compared to the lighter options.
- This color works well as an accent wall or in spaces where you want more color presence, such as dining rooms, home offices, or entryways.
It pairs well with crisp whites and can handle both casual and formal decorating approaches.
Each alternative maintains the cosmopolitan character that makes Macadamia appealing while offering subtle variations that might better suit specific design goals or personal preferences.
Final Thoughts
Sherwin-Williams Macadamia represents an exceptional choice for homeowners seeking warmth and timeless appeal in their interior color selections.
Its complex undertones, versatile character, and proven performance make it suitable for various design styles and room applications.
Macadamia’s versatility allows it to create a cohesive flow across rooms, enhancing the harmony of your home.
Its adaptability to lighting and decor changes ensures lasting satisfaction with your color choice.
Whether used throughout an entire home or as a strategic neutral in key spaces.
Macadamia provides the perfect foundation for creating inviting, cultured interiors that reflect both current design sensibilities and enduring style principles.
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Alex Guerrero, a graduate with a Fine Arts degree from the Rhode Island School of Design, has been a visionary in the world of color and design for over 15 years. His professional journey began in the heart of the fashion industry in Milan, where he developed an acute sense for color harmonies and trends. Alex joined our team in 2018, offering fresh and innovative perspectives on color utilization in various spaces. Renowned for his ability to blend contemporary trends with timeless elegance. Outside of work, Alex is an accomplished painter and a volunteer art therapist, his artistic talents further enriching his professional insights.
