Color guide · Benjamin Moore · Purple

Carolina Plum

1384 · #9A83A0 · LRV 27 · cool violet tone

1384 · #9A83A0 · LRV 27 — cool violet tone, mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.

Carolina PlumBenjamin Moore · 1384
The color, edge to edge.Use your own photo →
Carolina Plum
BENJAMIN MOORE · 1384 · #9A83A0
Brand · codeBenjamin Moore1384 · all Benjamin Moore purples
LRV27Mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.
Undertonecool violet tone
FamilyPurple
Hex · RGB · HSL#9A83A0 · 154, 131, 160 · 288°, 13%, 57%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. 1Nocturne Shade5
  2. 2Blue Nova17
  3. 3Carolina Plum27
  4. 4Wisteria48
  5. 5French Lilac56
Undertone and depth

What Color Is Carolina Plum, Really?

Carolina Plum reads as a cool violet tone — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover how Benjamin Moore 1384 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.

Room by room

Best Rooms and Uses for Carolina Plum

Carolina Plum is versatile enough for full rooms but has enough depth to anchor a space, so it suits living rooms, bedrooms and cabinetry alike. Purples range from restful (bedrooms) to dramatic (powder rooms) depending on depth.

Light by light

How Lighting Changes Carolina Plum

Carolina Plum sits in the mid-range at LRV 27, so it shifts visibly through the day — lighter and more open in morning light, deeper and moodier after dark. Its violet 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 Carolina Plum 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.

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Visualize in your room
Same color, different store

Need It From Another Brand?

Any paint counter can custom-tint Benjamin Moore 1384 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 Benjamin Moore Colors

The nearest shades to Carolina Plum within Benjamin Moore'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 Carolina Plum · 6.1 : 1 · passes AAWhite text on Carolina Plum · 3.4 : 1 · large text only

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 #9A83A0 in HSL space. Pair Carolina Plum with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#9A83A0 + #89A083
TRIADIC
#9A83A0 · #A09A83 · #83A09A
ANALOGOUS
#8B83A0 · #9A83A0 · #A08398

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Jessica Williams

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