Behr Applause Please#83899A · LRV 25
Applause Please reads as a blue / cool — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover the spec, what Behr MQ5-12 actually looks like under different light, and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Color spec
| Brand | Behr |
| Name | Applause Please |
| SKU | MQ5-12 |
| Hex | #83899A |
| RGB | 131, 137, 154 |
| HSL | 224°, 10%, 56% |
| LRV | 25 |
| Undertone | blue / cool |
| Family | Gray |
About Behr Applause Please
Applause Please sits in the mid-range at LRV 25, so it shifts visibly through the day — lighter and more open in morning light, deeper and moodier after dark. Its blue undertone is the part to watch: it gets picked up by whatever sits next to it, so test it against your trim, floor and the room's main light before committing. South-facing rooms will pull it lighter and warmer, while north light cools it down.
Applause Please is versatile enough for full rooms but has enough depth to anchor a space, so it suits living rooms, bedrooms and cabinetry alike. Grays like this read as a modern neutral and sit comfortably alongside both warm woods and cool metals.
Kompozit alternative
The closest hex in the Kompozit deck, ranked by ΔE2000 (perceptual color difference). ΔE under 2 is indistinguishable to most eyes; under 5 is a very close visual match.
Closest matches at every US brand
9 brands · top 5 each5 closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all gray from that brand.
Benjamin Moore
PPG / Glidden
Sherwin-Williams
Valspar
Dunn-Edwards
Magnolia Home
Backdrop
Clare
Similar Behr colors
closest in the Behr deckThe nearest shades to Applause Please within Behr's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #83899A in HSL space. Pair Applause Please with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
Accessibility (WCAG contrast)
WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.