Hawthorne Yellow (HC-4)
A warm, golden yellow from the Historical Collection. Not bright or neon, but rich and buttery.
About Benjamin Moore Hawthorne Yellow
Hawthorne Yellow (HC-4) is a yellow from Benjamin Moore's collection with an LRV of 66.67 and rich golden yellow undertones. A warm, golden yellow from the Historical Collection. Not bright or neon, but rich and buttery.
With a light-to-medium LRV of 66.67, Hawthorne Yellow sits in a versatile sweet spot. It has enough depth to read as more than a white or off-white, adding real color and character to a room, while still reflecting enough light to keep spaces feeling open and airy. This is the range where most popular whole-house colors live, because they offer warmth and personality without making rooms feel smaller.
Light Reflectance Value (LRV)
Hawthorne Yellow has an LRV of 66.67, placing it in the light range on the 0-to-100 scale. LRV measures the percentage of visible light a color reflects. A pure black has an LRV of 0 and a pure white has an LRV of 100. Understanding a color's LRV helps you predict how it will feel in your space: higher LRV means brighter and more spacious, lower LRV means cozier and more intimate.
Undertone Analysis
Hawthorne Yellow has rich golden yellow undertones. Undertones are the subtle background colors that become visible in different lighting conditions. Even colors that look "neutral" in the store will reveal their undertones once they are on your walls and interacting with natural light, artificial light, and the colors around them.
A warm, golden yellow from the Historical Collection. Not bright or neon, but rich and buttery. Warm undertones like these pair naturally with other warm elements: honey-toned wood floors, brass and gold hardware, cream-colored textiles, and warm-toned furnishings. They can clash with strongly cool elements like icy blue accents or chrome fixtures, though the effect depends on the strength of the undertone.
Lighting Behavior
Reads as a warm, golden tone in all lighting. In bright rooms, it glows beautifully.
Every paint color looks different depending on the light source in your room. South-facing rooms get warm, direct sunlight that brings out yellow and warm undertones. North-facing rooms get cool, indirect light that emphasizes blue and gray undertones. East-facing rooms are bright and warm in the morning, cooler in the afternoon. West-facing rooms are the opposite: cool morning, warm afternoon. Incandescent and warm LED bulbs push colors warmer, while cool-white LEDs and fluorescent tubes push colors cooler. To avoid surprises, always test Hawthorne Yellow with a physical sample on your actual wall, and observe it at different times of day before committing.
Best Rooms for Hawthorne Yellow
Benjamin Moore recommends Hawthorne Yellow for: kitchen, dining room, bedroom, hallway, accent wall.
On an accent wall, Hawthorne Yellow creates a focal point that draws the eye and adds visual depth to the room. Pair it with a lighter color on the remaining walls for the best contrast.
Closest Matches in Other Brands
Find the closest equivalent to Benjamin Moore Hawthorne Yellow from other paint brands. Matches are calculated using Delta E (CIE2000), the industry standard for measuring perceptual color difference.
Sherwin Williams Matches
Dover White is much lighter. No close SW match for this depth of yellow.
View all Sherwin Williams matches →Behr Matches
Wheat Bread is less yellow and more beige.
View all Behr matches →Coordinating Colors
These colors pair beautifully with Hawthorne Yellow for a cohesive palette. Use them for trim, accents, adjacent rooms, or furniture to create a well-designed space.
Frequently Asked Questions
The closest Sherwin Williams match for Benjamin Moore Hawthorne Yellow is Dover White (SW 6385) with a Delta E of 8, which rates as a "approximate" match. Dover White is much lighter. No close SW match for this depth of yellow. A Delta E under 2 means most people cannot tell the colors apart, while 2 to 4 means the difference is subtle.
Hawthorne Yellow has rich golden yellow undertones. A warm, golden yellow from the Historical Collection. Not bright or neon, but rich and buttery. Undertones become most visible when the color is on a large surface like a wall, and they shift depending on the light source in your room. Always test with a physical sample in your specific space to see how the undertones interact with your lighting, flooring, and furnishings.
Hawthorne Yellow (HC-4) has a Light Reflectance Value (LRV) of 66.67, which puts it in the light range. LRV measures the percentage of light a color reflects on a scale from 0 (pure black) to 100 (pure white). At 66.67, this is a medium-depth color that adds warmth and character while still reflecting a reasonable amount of light.
Hawthorne Yellow leans warm. The rich golden yellow undertones give it a cozy, inviting quality. It pairs naturally with other warm elements like wood tones, brass hardware, and cream textiles. In north-facing rooms, the warmth is especially welcoming.
Color data sourced from manufacturer specifications. Match calculations use Delta E (CIE2000) computed from Lab color space conversion. Last reviewed: March 22, 2026.