Oat Straw → Sherwin Williams
The closest Sherwin Williams matches for Valspar Oat Straw (VR086A), ranked by perceptual color distance.
Finding a Sherwin Williams Equivalent for Oat Straw
If you love Valspar Oat Straw but need a Sherwin Williams alternative, you are not alone. This is one of the most common cross-brand paint matching searches, whether you are working with a painter who prefers Sherwin Williams, your local store does not carry Valspar, or you simply want to compare prices across brands before committing.
Oat Straw (VR086A) is a light cream with warm golden cream undertones. A warm golden cream with natural, organic undertones. Like dried oat straw in late summer. More golden than Swiss Coffee, lighter than Rattan. A warm, earthy off-white. To find a good Sherwin Williams match, we need a color that captures not just the right depth (LRV 69) but also that specific undertone character. That is where Delta E color science comes in.
We calculated the perceptual color distance between Oat Straw and every Sherwin Williams color using the CIE2000 Delta E formula, which measures how different two colors look to the human eye. A Delta E under 2 means most people cannot tell the colors apart. Between 2 and 4, you might notice a difference in certain lighting. Above 5, the difference is clearly visible side by side.
The results are decent but not perfect. The closest Sherwin Williams option is Neutral Ground (SW 7568) with a Delta E of 4, which is a "good match" level match. Neutral Ground is less golden but similar in lightness and warmth. You will want to test a sample before committing, as the difference may be noticeable in certain lighting.
Sherwin Williams Matches for Oat Straw
Neutral Ground is less golden but similar in lightness and warmth.
| Oat Straw | Neutral Ground | |
|---|---|---|
| LRV | 69 | 70 |
| Hex | #DDD6C6 | #DFD6C7 |
| Undertone | Warm Golden Cream | Warm Beige |
| Family | Cream | Beige |
Undertone Comparison
Oat Straw has warm golden cream undertones. A warm golden cream with natural, organic undertones. Like dried oat straw in late summer. More golden than Swiss Coffee, lighter than Rattan. A warm, earthy off-white.
Neutral Ground has warm beige undertones. A light, warm beige with balanced undertones. Less yellow than creams, less gray than greiges. A true warm neutral.
The undertone difference is worth paying attention to. While they are close in overall appearance, the different undertones mean they may diverge in certain lighting. Oat Straw's warm golden cream quality may read differently than Neutral Ground's warm beige character, especially in rooms with strong directional light or colored accents that could pull out one undertone more than the other. Test a sample in your specific room before committing.
How These Colors Behave in Different Lighting
Oat Straw in Your Room
The golden warmth is gentle but present. In south-facing rooms, it glows with a golden quality. In north-facing rooms, it reads as a warm, pleasant neutral.
Neutral Ground in Your Room
Reads as a pleasant warm beige in all conditions. Not dramatically warm, just gently beige. Versatile and crowd-pleasing.
LRV and Brightness
Oat Straw has an LRV of 69, while Neutral Ground has an LRV of 70. These two colors reflect a very similar amount of light, so you should not notice a significant difference in room brightness when switching between them. The room will feel approximately the same in terms of light and space, which makes this a smoother transition.
Best Rooms for Oat Straw
Valspar recommends Oat Straw for: living room, bedroom, dining room, hallway, whole house. With an LRV of 69, this is a light color that is in the medium-light range, reflecting enough light to keep rooms feeling open while adding more color and depth than a white or off-white. It works well in living rooms, bedrooms, and hallways where you want warmth and character without darkness.
Neutral Ground is recommended for: whole house, living room, bedroom, hallway, dining room. The recommended applications differ slightly between brands, but the color's properties should work in the same rooms regardless of which brand you choose. Trust the LRV and undertone data more than the specific room suggestions, and always test in your actual space.
Oat Straw in Other Brands
Looking for Oat Straw equivalents in other brands besides Sherwin Williams? We have matches across all major paint brands.
Frequently Asked Questions
The closest Sherwin Williams match for Oat Straw (VR086A) is Neutral Ground (SW 7568) with a Delta E of 4, which rates as a "good match" match. Neutral Ground is less golden but similar in lightness and warmth. Delta E measures perceptual color distance on a scale where under 2 means nearly identical, 2 to 4 means close with subtle differences, and over 5 means clearly noticeable.
No, they are not identical. Oat Straw is a Valspar color with warm golden cream undertones and an LRV of 69. Neutral Ground is a Sherwin Williams color with warm beige undertones and an LRV of 70. With a Delta E of 4, the difference is subtle and mainly visible in direct side-by-side comparison. Paint formulations differ between brands, so even colors with similar values can look slightly different due to pigment concentration, binders, and finish.
With a Delta E of 4, the difference is enough that they should not be used on adjacent walls in the same room. You can use them in separate rooms of the same house, but be aware that walking from one room to the other may reveal the difference, especially if the rooms have similar lighting. For the most consistent look, pick one brand for all connected living spaces and reserve the other brand for visually separate rooms like bathrooms or bedrooms behind closed doors.
There are several practical reasons to look for a Sherwin Williams equivalent. Price differences between brands can be significant on large projects. Availability matters if your nearest paint store or home center specializes in Sherwin Williams. Some painters have strong preferences for one brand's formula based on coverage, dry time, or workability. And if you are touching up existing Sherwin Williams work, matching within the same brand gives you the best consistency for seamless results.
Match calculations use Delta E (CIE2000) computed from Lab color space conversion. Color data sourced from manufacturer specifications. Last reviewed: March 22, 2026.