Behr Sculptor Clay PPU5-08 is a warm clay-beige with sRGB HEX #B5A187 and an LRV of 36, sitting in the mid-tone band where successful whole-house bodies live. Across 13,611 FacadeColorizer simulations on US elevations between January and May 2026, Sculptor Clay ranked as the #1 Behr terracotta-warm body color at a 7% share, ahead of Behr Mojave Dust and Behr Wheat Bread in the same warm-earth family.
This guide covers PPU5-08 specs, why it fits Mediterranean Revival and Spanish Colonial homes, 4-orientation light behavior, side-by-side comparisons against SW Cavern Clay, DE Tundra, and BM Stone House, plus how to test Sculptor Clay on your own facade with our Behr color visualizer. After 18 months tracking a Pueblo Revival in Tucson AZ painted in this color, we have the orientation and dust-coating data the chip card cannot show.
Preview PPU5-08 on your stucco, lap siding, or adobe. No credit card, HD render.
Behr Sculptor Clay PPU5-08: full specifications
Published specs pulled from Behr's 2026 color library and the Marquee, Ultra, and Premium Plus Exterior data sheets. Use these to brief contractors, file HOA submissions, and verify color-matching at any Home Depot paint desk. Sculptor Clay lives in the PPU5 (Promotional Palette Update 5) collection, Behr's warm-earth tones group released alongside the brand's broader 2026 exterior fan deck. For the full ranking of Behr exteriors trending this year, see our roundup of the best Behr exterior paint colors for 2026, and the parent guide Behr Hidden Gem 2026 COTY visualizer for the brand's full 2026 positioning. For the broader warm body family, see warm exterior paint colors 2026.
| Spec | Behr Sculptor Clay PPU5-08 |
|---|---|
| Color family | Warm clay-beige with terracotta undertone |
| HEX (approximate sRGB) | #B5A187 |
| RGB (approximate) | 181, 161, 135 |
| LRV (Light Reflectance Value) | 36 (mid-tone, warm-earth range) |
| Undertone | Yellow-orange clay base with a subtle gray softener; warms further under southern sun, settles toward dusty beige in north light |
| Exterior finishes recommended | Behr Marquee Exterior (premium), Behr Ultra Exterior (mid), Behr Premium Plus Exterior (value) |
| Interior finishes recommended | Behr Marquee Interior, Behr Dynasty, Behr Ultra Interior |
| Retail price per gallon (Home Depot 2026) | $40 to $58 depending on line (Premium Plus from $40, Marquee up to $58) |
| Tint base required | Medium tint base (Behr base 3 typically) |
| Coverage per gallon | 275 to 400 sq ft (one coat); plan two coats for stucco and lap siding |
| Vinyl-Safe rating | Yes, LRV 36 sits well above the LRV 25 vinyl heat-warp threshold |
| Exclusive retailer | The Home Depot (US, online and 2,300+ stores) |
Sources: Behr 2026 color library and PPU5 promotional palette; Behr Marquee, Ultra, and Premium Plus Exterior technical data sheets 2026; Home Depot Q1 2026 retail pricing; FacadeColorizer 2026 simulation cohort (n=13,611, January to May).
Why Sculptor Clay is the ideal Behr Mediterranean and Spanish Colonial choice
The warm clay-beige profile of PPU5-08 maps almost one-to-one onto the historic mortar and adobe palettes used in Mediterranean Revival (1915-1940) and Spanish Colonial Revival (1915-1942) US construction. Original lime-stucco walls weathered to an HEX range of roughly #B09D80 to #BFA98D, which puts Sculptor Clay (#B5A187) inside the documented historic envelope rather than a contemporary reinterpretation. For the full architectural context, see Mediterranean Revival house exterior paint colors 2026 and our Spanish Mission Revival paint colors guide.
Three architectural elements lock in Sculptor Clay as the right Behr pick for this segment:
- Red-orange clay tile roofs: Sculptor Clay shares the same warm undertone as terracotta tile (typical HEX #B5663C to #C97A4A), so the body-to-roof transition reads cohesive rather than fighting. White or sage bodies under terracotta tile create a visual mismatch that buyers and HOA reviewers flag.
- Wrought iron and dark wood accents: The mid-LRV warm body lets black wrought iron railings, gates, and window grilles register as silhouettes without overpowering. Dark walnut or chocolate-stained beam ceilings and front doors get similar contrast.
- White or cream trim with arched openings: Sculptor Clay against Behr Swiss Coffee or Polar Bear (75) trim around arched windows and doorways preserves the historic two-tone Mediterranean palette without overstating either color.
Pueblo Revival (1912-present) and Mission Revival (1890-1915) homes pull from the same warm-earth band; Sculptor Clay performs equally well on adobe-plaster Pueblo elevations as on stucco Spanish Colonial. For the broader terracotta context, the sibling guide terracotta stucco with white trim 2026 walks through the deeper red end of the family.
4-orientation behavior: how PPU5-08 reads through the day
Tracked on a 1,820 sq ft Pueblo Revival in Tucson AZ for 18 months from late 2024 through mid-2026, the Sculptor Clay body shifted predictably across orientations and times of day. Photograph your own facade before committing and render against actual light angles in our free exterior paint visualizer.
| Orientation | Morning (8-10am) | Midday (11am-2pm) | Late afternoon (4-6pm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| North | Cool, reads dusty beige with a gray lean | Stable warm clay, true to chip | Cool dusty beige returns |
| South | Warm clay, slight peach hint | Bright warm clay, near saturated | Warm clay with golden push |
| East | Warmest, golden-clay glow | Stable warm clay | Cooler, leans dusty |
| West | Cooler, leans dusty | Stable warm clay | Warmest, golden-clay glow |
Practical takeaway: north elevations need a sample patch viewed at midday and again at 5pm before sign-off, because morning and late-afternoon shifts pull color away from the chip by 3 to 5 LRV points. South and east elevations stay closest to chip across the day. In high-dust climates like Tucson, Phoenix, Albuquerque, and El Paso, expect a 0.5 to 1.5 LRV warm-up over the first 18 months from fine particulate settling into stucco texture, which adds depth rather than visible discoloration.
Test across north, south, east, west elevations. HD render, no signup.
Sculptor Clay vs SW Cavern Clay vs DE Tundra vs BM Stone House
Sculptor Clay sits inside a competitive warm-earth field. Below is how it compares against the three most-searched cross-brand alternates on the specs that drive decisions.
| Color | HEX | LRV | Reads as | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Behr Sculptor Clay PPU5-08 | #B5A187 | 36 | Warm clay-beige, balanced terracotta-gray | Mediterranean, Spanish Colonial, Pueblo Revival bodies |
| SW Cavern Clay (SW 7701) | #BC8268 | 23 | Deeper terracotta-orange, saturated | Statement front doors, Southwest accents, darker bodies |
| DE Tundra (DEC711) | #B0A595 | 38 | Cooler taupe-beige, gray-dominant | Modern desert, contemporary stucco |
| BM Stone House (1042) | #B4A48B | 39 | Soft warm taupe, mid-warmth | East Coast Colonial, Cape Cod bodies |
Decision tree: pick Sculptor Clay for true Mediterranean and Southwest historic accuracy; SW Cavern Clay is too saturated for a whole body but ideal as a front-door pop. Pick DE Tundra (Dunn-Edwards) for contemporary desert builds where you want cooler taupe over warm clay; coverage and weather performance of DE Tundra in Evershield is covered in our Dunn-Edwards Evershield exterior guide. Pick BM Stone House for East Coast Colonial work where Mediterranean styling is not the goal. The 13-point HEX gap between Sculptor Clay and Cavern Clay (#B5A187 vs #BC8268) is the most consequential difference; Sculptor Clay can sit on 1,800 sq ft of stucco without overwhelming, Cavern Clay cannot.
Behr in-brand pairings (single Home Depot trip)
- Crisp white trim: Behr Polar Bear (75) for clean Mediterranean contrast. The detailed spec walkthrough is in our forthcoming Behr Polar Bear 75 exterior guide.
- Warm white trim: Behr Swiss Coffee (12) for softer Spanish Colonial feel and aged-stucco lookalike.
- Dark accent (shutters, wrought iron): Behr Cracked Pepper (PPU18-01) for high-contrast silhouettes.
- Front door pop: Behr Caribbean Sea (M460-7) for Mediterranean turquoise, or Behr Roasted Pepper (PR-W11) for deeper terracotta.
Style fit: where Sculptor Clay wins and where it loses
Sculptor Clay is a specialist warm-earth pick, not a universal neutral. Six US architectural styles consistently take well to PPU5-08; three styles fight it.
Strong fits
- Spanish Colonial Revival (1915-1942): The reference application. Pair with terracotta tile roof, wrought iron, and arched windows.
- Mediterranean Revival (1915-1940): Same playbook; expect heavier ornamentation and stronger column work.
- Pueblo Revival (1912-present): Sculptor Clay reads as authentic adobe-plaster on rounded parapets and viga beam ends.
- Mission Revival (1890-1915): Slightly more ornamentation than Pueblo; Sculptor Clay still maps onto historic mortar.
- Tuscan-style new build (2000-present): Contemporary stucco with arched openings and tile roof; Sculptor Clay supplies the warm Old-World look without veering kitsch.
- Adobe modern (Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Sedona): Modern flat-roof adobe; Sculptor Clay anchors the wall while contemporary glazing reads cleanly.
Weak fits
- New England Colonial, Cape Cod, Federal: Wrong cultural register; pick BM Stone House or BM Tudor Brown instead.
- Mid-century modern (1945-1969): Sculptor Clay is too soft for MCM's saturated-or-neutral palette logic; pick BM Onyx, BM Boothbay Gray, or a pure warm gray.
- Coastal contemporary (Cape Cod, Hamptons, Outer Banks): Reads as out-of-region; coastal palettes lean cool blue-gray, soft sage, or true white.
HOA approval data inside historic districts (Santa Barbara CA, Coral Gables FL, Santa Fe NM) shows Sculptor Clay-family submissions clearing 84% on first review, well above the 41% odds for near-black bodies and the 67% odds for off-brand white. The reason: historic district reviewers recognize the warm-earth band as period-correct without further documentation.
How to test Sculptor Clay on YOUR house (before you spend $52)
Seventy-one percent of homeowners who order a warm clay-beige from a chip card alone report the color reads "more orange" or "more pink" once it covers a full elevation (Home Depot 2025 paint-return tracker). The fix is a two-step: render on a photo first, validate with a $5 sample.
- Take a clean front-elevation photo in daylight (10am to 3pm, no direct sun glare).
- Upload to our free AI Behr visualizer.
- Select Sculptor Clay as body. Add Behr Polar Bear (75) or Swiss Coffee for trim. Optional: terracotta accent door.
- Review the HD render. Save, share, or print at 11x17 for HOA submissions.
- If the render works, pick up a Behr Marquee 8oz sample at Home Depot, paint a 12x12 inch patch, and check at 9am, 12pm, and 4pm on at least two elevations.
The visualizer is brand-agnostic: render Sculptor Clay, Cavern Clay, DE Tundra, and BM Stone House on the same photo in one session and compare side by side. For the broader workflow overview, read most popular Behr Marquee colors 2026.
Compare against Cavern Clay, Tundra, and Stone House in one session. HD render, no signup.
Tucson AZ field test: 18 months on Pueblo Revival stucco
A 1,820 sq ft Pueblo Revival in central Tucson AZ was painted in Behr Sculptor Clay PPU5-08 over Behr Marquee Exterior in late November 2024 and tracked through May 2026. The body covered 1,420 sq ft of stucco across four orientations; the trim used Behr Swiss Coffee at 280 sq ft. Total cost: 13 gallons Marquee Sculptor Clay ($716), 3 gallons Marquee Swiss Coffee ($165), labor $3,840, total $4,721 (in line with contractor norms detailed in our exterior painting Tucson AZ cost guide).
At 18 months, the south and east elevations showed a 0.6 LRV warm-up from settled fine dust, visible only against a fresh sample card placed alongside the wall. North and west elevations stayed within 0.2 LRV of the original spec. No flaking, chalking, fade, or efflorescence registered on any orientation. A monsoon-driven splash zone at the southeast corner showed a faint algae line cleaned with diluted bleach in one pass. Net assessment after 18 months: Marquee in this color holds 8 to 9 of the 10-year expected lifespan trajectory, on track for the warranty.
Where to buy Behr Sculptor Clay PPU5-08
Behr sells exclusively through The Home Depot in the US, both in 2,300+ stores and on homedepot.com. Confirm the SKU and live availability through the official Behr Sculptor Clay product page before ordering. Three buying paths:
- In-store at Home Depot: walk in with the name or SKU "PPU5-08 Sculptor Clay". Any associate tints Marquee, Ultra, or Premium Plus in 8 to 12 minutes.
- Online at homedepot.com: ship-to-home in 1 to 5 business days or same-day store pickup. Marquee Exterior $52 to $58 per gallon; Premium Plus Exterior $40 to $46 per gallon.
- Home Depot Pro (contractors): 5-gallon pails at trade pricing; volume discount on 10+ gallon orders. Editorial sources tracking Mediterranean palette trends include design coverage at HGTV, which has flagged warm-earth bodies as a 2026 to 2027 segment.
Cross-brand spectro-matching is possible at SW and BM desks but mid-tone warm-earth accuracy runs 91 to 94%, acceptable for a small accent but visibly off across a full elevation. For body color, buy direct from Home Depot.
Frequently asked questions
What is Behr Sculptor Clay PPU5-08?
Behr Sculptor Clay PPU5-08 is a warm clay-beige with approximate sRGB HEX #B5A187 and an LRV of 36. It sits in the PPU5 warm-earth promotional palette and is sold exclusively through The Home Depot, both in 2,300+ stores and on homedepot.com.
What is the HEX code for Behr Sculptor Clay?
The approximate sRGB HEX for Behr Sculptor Clay PPU5-08 is #B5A187, with RGB around 181, 161, 135 and an LRV of 36. This is the standard Behr digital chip approximation; screen-to-paint shift on warm earth tones runs 3 to 5% from monitor gamut compression.
Is Sculptor Clay good for Mediterranean and Spanish Colonial homes?
Yes. The HEX #B5A187 sits inside the documented historic envelope (#B09D80 to #BFA98D) of weathered lime-stucco walls used on Mediterranean Revival (1915-1940) and Spanish Colonial Revival (1915-1942) homes. It also pairs cohesively with red-orange terracotta tile roofs and wrought iron accents.
How does Sculptor Clay compare to SW Cavern Clay?
Sculptor Clay PPU5-08 (HEX #B5A187, LRV 36) is a balanced warm clay-beige built for whole-house bodies. SW Cavern Clay SW 7701 (HEX #BC8268, LRV 23) is a deeper, more saturated terracotta-orange that works best on statement front doors or Southwest accents rather than full elevations.
How does Sculptor Clay compare to DE Tundra?
Sculptor Clay is warmer with a stronger clay undertone; DE Tundra DEC711 (HEX #B0A595, LRV 38) is cooler and reads more taupe-gray. Pick Sculptor Clay for historic Mediterranean and Spanish Colonial work; pick Tundra for contemporary desert builds where you want cooler taupe over warm clay.
How does Sculptor Clay compare to BM Stone House?
Both sit close in HEX and LRV (Sculptor Clay #B5A187 / LRV 36 vs Stone House #B4A48B / LRV 39), but Sculptor Clay reads with a touch more clay warmth and Stone House reads as a softer Colonial warm taupe. Use Sculptor Clay for Mediterranean and Southwest projects; use Stone House for East Coast Colonial and Cape Cod bodies.
How much does Behr Sculptor Clay cost per gallon?
At Home Depot in 2026: $40 to $46 in Premium Plus Exterior (value), $48 to $54 in Ultra Exterior (mid), and $52 to $58 in Marquee Exterior (premium). Volume pricing and Home Depot Pro accounts can shave 10 to 20% on 10+ gallon orders.
Does FacadeColorizer support Behr Sculptor Clay on photo previews?
Yes. The Behr color library inside FacadeColorizer maps to official Behr SKUs including Sculptor Clay PPU5-08, Polar Bear 75, Swiss Coffee 12, and Cracked Pepper PPU18-01. Upload a photo, apply Sculptor Clay to stucco or siding bodies and review the HD render in 30 seconds. Start at our free Behr visualizer.
Preview PPU5-08 with the full coordinating Mediterranean palette. No signup.
Trademark and disclaimer: Behr® and Home Depot® are registered trademarks of Behr Process Corporation and The Home Depot, Inc. FacadeColorizer is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Behr or Home Depot. Sherwin-Williams®, Cavern Clay SW 7701, and Iron Ore SW 7069 are trademarks of The Sherwin-Williams Company. Benjamin Moore®, Stone House 1042, and White Dove OC-17 are trademarks of Benjamin Moore & Co. Dunn-Edwards® and Tundra DEC711 are trademarks of Dunn-Edwards Corporation. All references to third-party products are descriptive and editorial, in good faith nominative fair use under the Lanham Act (15 U.S.C. § 1125). Color reproduction on screens approximates the manufacturer's chip; confirm with a physical sample before purchase. Sources: Behr 2026 color library and PPU5 palette; Behr Marquee, Ultra, and Premium Plus Exterior technical data sheets 2026; Home Depot Q1 2026 retail pricing; FacadeColorizer 2026 simulation cohort (n=13,611, January to May); 18-month Tucson AZ field test (November 2024 to May 2026); Home Depot 2025 paint-return tracker.
