Benjamin Moore Natural Linen 966 Review

By Michelle Marceny, Certified Color Expert and founder of The Color Concierge.

Learn more about Benjamin Moore Natural Linen paint in this color review from The Color Concierge.

Benjamin Moore Natural Linen is a wonderful neutral paint color and very on-trend right now as more and more homeowners are moving away from all-white and gray color palettes and looking for warm beige hues.

I consider Natural Linen a warmer and slightly darker version of the iconic Benjamin Moore Manchester Tan, which I discuss more in the article. It’s dark enough to not wash out in bright South-facing sunshine and warm enough to look friendly in rooms with cooler North-facing light. In total, it’s a very flexible paint color.

This was a very popular paint color back in the Tuscan decor era of the 2000s and we’re seeing it come back in style now! The color is lighter than many Tuscan colors we used to see (I still do color consults to update Tuscan decor every week!), so it works well with today’s lighter color palettes.

My favorite use for BM Natural Linen paint is in secondary rooms like bedrooms and bathrooms.  It is so cozy, warm, and friendly, and those are the words my color consulting clients use most often to describe the look and feel they want for those spaces.

Please keep reading to learn more about Benjamin Moore Natural Linen and how to use it for paint projects in your home.

A swatch of Benjamin Moore Natural Linen paint.

*This post contains affiliate links for products I use and love. If you click on some links and make a purchase, I will get a small commission at no cost to you. This helps pay for the costs of the blog so I can continue to offer great content to our readers.

Benjamin Moore Natural Linen vs Sherwin-Williams Natural Linen

Before we get into all the details of Benjamin Moore Natural Linen, we need to clear up some common confusion about this paint color. The confusion is that Sherwin-Williams also has a paint color called Natural Linen, and the colors are very similar (but definitely not the same).

Both colors are warm, lightish, and beige, but Benjamin Moore Natural Linen leans more into warm, green undertones than Sherwin-Williams Natural Linen, which is lighter and peachier. I would use the SW Natural Linen color in homes without strong yellow undertones. BM Natural Linen has more flexibility due to its green undertones.

In this post, we’re focusing on the Benjamin Moore version of Natural Linen. We will have a full comparison of the two colors later in this post.

What Color is Benjamin Moore Natural Linen?

Benjamin Moore Natural Linen is a neutral, beige paint color perfect for bedrooms, bathrooms, and other interior spaces.

Benjamin Moore Natural Linen LRV

BM Natural Linen has an LRV of 59.84, which is light-reflecting but still slightly darker than we would expect for a whole-house neutral.

Benjamin Moore Natural Linen Undertones

BM Natural Linen has green undertones that sometimes flash peachy. It definitely leans more toward green so that it won’t look pink on the wall.

Is Benjamin Moore Natural Linen Warm or Cool?

Natural Linen is a warm paint color because of its green undertones.

Does Natural Linen Look Pink?

No, Benjamin Moore Natural Linen shouldn’t look pink or peachy on the wall. Sometimes, you’ll hear about Sherwin-Williams Natural Linen looking pink, but the Benjamin Moore version leans much more toward green than peach.

Sample Benjamin Moore Natural Linen?

We always recommend that you test paint colors in your home because lighting can completely change a paint color, both on interiors and exteriors.  You can order a Natural Linen paint sample below.

Using Benjamin Moore Natural Linen Interior Paint

BM Natural Linen is a fantastic paint color for secondary living spaces like bedrooms and bathrooms and can even work for other living areas.

Benjamin Moore Natural Linen Bedroom

In our client’s home featured in today’s post, we used Benjamin Moore Natural Linen in a few spaces throughout their home, including the master bedroom.

This home is a ranch with the primary bedroom adjacent to the living room, painted with Sherwin-Williams Alabaster, and in this article you can see the bedroom through the door below. We picked BM Natural Linen in the bedroom to link to the art on the piece of art on the hearth. It complements the limestone because of its undertones.

BM Natural Linen bedroom walls are seen through a doorway next to a Limestone fireplace; The Color Concierge

In the primary bedroom, we paired BM Natural Linen walls with SW Alabaster ceilings, trim, and doors. The warm hues flow beautifully together, creating a warm, inviting space that still feels light and airy.

We complemented the wall color with other warm hues, such as natural wood, orange bedding, and live greenery.

Benjamin Moore Natural Linen Bathroom

We continued the Benjamin Moore Natural Linen interior paint in the toilet room/washroom of the primary bathroom. The main portion of the bathroom is painted with SW Alabaster and features vanity cabinets just like BM Rockport Gray or SW Fawn Brindle.

The Natural Linen toilet room tied the whole space together, complementing the tile in the shower enclosure.

BM Natural Linen Cabinets

BM Natural Linen could work well as a neutral kitchen cabinet color, especially if paired with a limestone backsplash. Natural Linen kitchen walls would also look lovely with warm white cabinets (like SW Alabaster) or natural wood cabinets.

BM Natural Linen Office

I love using Natural Linen as a neutral office paint color. Our client’s primary bedroom featured a small office area in one corner, and I absolutely love the way it came together with Natural Linen walls.

Natural Linen looks gorgeous with the warm wood desk and wall shelves and would make a really cozy, peaceful space to work.

Is BM Natural Linen a Good Whole-House Paint Color?

Benjamin Moore Natural Linen wouldn’t be my first choice for a whole-house paint color. The color is a little too strong for that. But I love the idea of using a BM Natural Linen color palette throughout a home, especially for bedrooms, bathrooms, and other secondary rooms.

Using Benjamin Moore Natural Linen Exterior Paint

In the bright sunshine, Benjamin Moore Natural Linen exterior paint will look like a warm, light creamy color. Because of its depth, we don’t recommend it as a “white” trim color. If you want a light neutral for your trim and doors, it would work well, but I recommend that you contrast it with clean white or off-white walls, and test carefully to ensure that it pairs well with your decor.

Benjamin Moore Natural Linen Coordinating Colors

With Natural Linen, Benjamin Moore has created a really flexible paint color that pairs well with many other home decor materials and hues.

Does Natural Linen go with green?

Yes, Benjamin Moore Natural Linen pairs really well with green colors, thanks to its green undertones. It also works well with warm blues that have a bit of green in them. The natural greenery included in this client’s primary bedroom is a great example of this pairing.

Does Natural Linen go with wood?

I absolutely love the look of Natural Linen paint with warm wood tones and similar hues. Our client’s primary bedroom features warm wood floors, wood furniture, and muted rust tones, and it all comes together to create a really beautiful space.

What trim goes with Natural Linen?

We like clean whites, like BM Chantilly Lace or Benjamin Moore Oxford White, and warm off-whites, like BM Cloud White and BM White Dove. SW Alabaster also looks great, but I wouldn’t go darker than that.

Benjamin Moore Natural Linen Pros & Cons

I love Benjamin Moore Natural Linen, but like any paint color, it doesn’t work in every situation. Here some of the pros and cons of this color.

Pros:

• BM Natural Linen is light-reflecting, but also has plenty of pigment so it won’t make a room feel too bright.
• Its warm green undertones make it feel warm and cozy, without looking yellow or pink on the wall.
• Natural Linen pairs well with many home finishes, including natural wood tones, warm colors and natural greenery.

Cons:

• BN Natural Linen is a bit darker than we’d normally pick for a whole-house paint color, so it may not work well for large living areas or open-concept spaces.
• Its undertones can sometimes flash peach, so it’s important to test with your lighting and other paint colors.

The Best Benjamin Moore Natural Linen Alternatives

Not sure if BM Natural Linen is right for your project? Explore the color comparisons below to see how it compares to other popular beige paint colors.

BM Natural Linen vs SW Natural Linen

As we mentioned above, Benjamin Moore Natural Linen is often confused with Sherwin-Williams Natural Linen. But while they’re similar, they can’t be used interchangeably.

SW Natural Linen is much lighter and has an almost perfect LRV for neutral colors. However, I’ve had so many homeowners reach out to me about this hue, and almost all have said this:

“I saw SW Natural Linen on Instagram and didn’t expect it to look so peachy.”

This is the fundamental difference between the two colors. BM Natural Linen is darker than you would expect a beige to be these days, but it’s beautifully balanced and doesn’t skew as pink as the SW version. 

They are both great colors and can be nice choices for the right room, but this is a great example of why you need to test your paint colors.

BM Natural Linen vs BM Manchester Tan

BM Natural Linen is darker than Manchester Tan, which has an LRV of 63.24. Both colors have warm, green undertones, but Manchester Tan looks just slightly cooler in place.

BM Natural Linen vs SW Wool Skein

Sherwin-Williams Wool Skein is a very close match for Natural Linen but is slightly lighter, with an LRV of 63. Both colors have green undertones, but Wool Skein’s undertones lean more toward yellow, making it look a bit warmer.

BM Natural Linen vs BM Muslin

BM Natural Linen is darker than BM Muslin, but they are similar colors. Muslin looks a bit warmer on the wall, thanks to its pink undertones, and is also lighter, with an LRV of 66.54.

BM Natural Linen vs BM Linen White

BM Natural Linen and BM Linen White are completely different paint colors, but people often confuse them because their names are similar. Linen White is significantly lighter than Natural Linen, with an LRV of 80.94, and also looks warmer on the wall thanks to its peach undertones.

BM Natural Linen vs SW Accessible Beige

Sherwin-Williams Accessible Beige is one of the most popular warm, beige paint colors on the market, as discussed further in the linked blog. It has an LRV of 58, so it is just slightly darker than Natural Linen. Accessible Beige also looks a bit cooler in place, despite having similar green undertones.

What is the Best Sherwin-Williams Alternative for BM Natural Linen?

Even though Sherwin-Williams Natural LInen is similar to the Benjamin Moore version and has the same name, it’s not actually the closest match. I recommend Wool Skein if you want a similar look to BM Natural Linen but want to use Sherwin-Williams paint.

Still, it’s important to note that while Wool Skein is the closest comparison, it’s still not that close. Wool Skein is more yellow and BM Natural Linen is softer and cleaner with more warmth.

Key Learning Points

Benjamin Moore Natural Linen is a warm, beautiful beige paint color perfect for bedrooms, bathrooms, offices and more.

• BM Natural Linen has warm green undertones that make this color cozy and inviting.
• Natural Linen is a bit too dark to use as a whole-house paint color, but it can be a lovely neutral hue within a whole-house color palette.
• Natural Linen pairs well with many different colors and hard finishes, including natural wood, greens, warm blues and rust colors. It also looks wonderful paired with clean whites and warm, off-white colors.

We always advise that you don’t paint-match across different brands. The matches are a custom color, and often very different from your target color. In this article, you can see the results of paint-matching.

Finally, don’t forget to test your paint colors in place. Get our testing guidelines in “How to Test Paint Colors Like a Pro“.

Online Color Consulting

Do you still need help picking the best paint colors? Discover our Online Color Consulting Package.

Related Posts:

• Best Warm Beige Paint Colors for 2026
• Sherwin-Williams Accessible Beige Color Review
• Benjamin Moore Manchester Tan Color Review
• Best Neutral Paint Colors to Sell Your Home
• Sherwin-Williams Alabaster Color Review

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About the Author

Hi, I’m Michelle Marceny, founder, owner, and Principal Color Designer at The Color Concierge. I believe a fresh coat of paint can completely transform a space. The Color Concierge was born out of my drive to help clients fall back in love with their homes. My clients trust me to help them find the perfect paint color — whether that’s a whole-house color scheme or ideas for a single room.

Since founding The Color Concierge in 2017, my team and I have completed 1,000s of color consultations, online and in person. I’m a Certified Color Expert with nine years of experience creating interior and exterior color palettes throughout North America.

Every color review on this site comes from colors we’ve specified in real homes and photographed on location during our own consultations — not from a fan deck or a manufacturer’s website.

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