Color guide · Behr · Neutral

Postmodern Mauve

PPU5-15 · #B39C8F · LRV 35 · warm red-orange tone

PPU5-15 · #B39C8F · LRV 35 — warm red-orange tone, mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.

Postmodern MauveBehr · PPU5-15
The color, edge to edge.Use your own photo →
Postmodern Mauve
BEHR · PPU5-15 · #B39C8F
Brand · codeBehrPPU5-15 · all Behr neutrals
LRV35Mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.
Undertonewarm red-orange tone
FamilyNeutral
Hex · RGB · HSL#B39C8F · 179, 156, 143 · 22°, 19%, 63%Display values from the brand. Match it at another brand
Sheen we recommendEggshell on walls · satin on trim and cabinetsWhich sheen where, explained
Where it sits, light to dark
  1. 1Anonymous20
  2. 2Felted Wool28
  3. 3Postmodern Mauve35
  4. 4Revere Pewter55
  5. 5Agreeable Gray60
Undertone and depth

What Color Is Postmodern Mauve, Really?

Postmodern Mauve reads as a warm red-orange tone — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover how Behr PPU5-15 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.

Room by room

Best Rooms and Uses for Postmodern Mauve

Postmodern Mauve is versatile enough for full rooms but has enough depth to anchor a space, so it suits living rooms, bedrooms and cabinetry alike. Greige-leaning neutrals like this are the safe whole-home choice when you want warmth without committing to a color.

Light by light

How Lighting Changes Postmodern Mauve

Postmodern Mauve sits in the mid-range at LRV 35, so it shifts visibly through the day — lighter and more open in morning light, deeper and moodier after dark. Its orange 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.

Test it in your light, not a showroom's

Most complaints about Postmodern Mauve are a light mismatch. Upload a photo of your actual room and see it on your walls — then ask for the same wall in north light or evening lamps before you buy a single sample.

Upload a photoPainted in about a minuteFree, no account
Visualize in your room
Same color, different store

Need It From Another Brand?

Any paint counter can custom-tint Behr PPU5-15 directly. If you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches, measured as ΔE2000. Under 2 is a difference you will not see on the wall.

Same deck, next chip over

Similar Behr Colors

The nearest shades to Postmodern Mauve within Behr's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.

Contrast, for text and signage
Black text on Postmodern Mauve · 8.1 : 1 · passes AA and AAAWhite text on Postmodern Mauve · 2.6 : 1 · fails for text

WCAG 2.1: AA is 4.5 : 1 for normal text, 3 : 1 for large text, AAA is 7 : 1.

Coordinated palette

Generated by hue-rotating #B39C8F in HSL space. Pair Postmodern Mauve with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#B39C8F + #8FA6B3
TRIADIC
#B39C8F · #8FB39C · #9C8FB3
ANALOGOUS
#B38F94 · #B39C8F · #B3AE8F

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Jessica Williams

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