French Violet
1427 · #696D86 · LRV 18 — cool blue tone, dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.
- 1Hale Navy8
- 2Waterloo13
- 3French Violet18
- 4Williamsburg Wedgwood Blue28
- 5Resolute Blue40
What Color Is French Violet, Really?
French Violet reads as a cool blue tone — dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs. The notes below cover how Benjamin Moore 1427 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for French Violet
French Violet works best as a feature — a single wall, built-ins, a study or dining room — rather than wrapping a whole bright space. Blues calm a room, which makes them popular in bedrooms, bathrooms and home offices.
How Lighting Changes French Violet
With an LRV of 18, French Violet is a deep, dramatic shade. It soaks up light in north-facing rooms and looks richest where strong daylight hits it. 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. Warm artificial light softens it; cool LED can make it look flat, so match your bulbs to the mood you want.
Most complaints about French Violet 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.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint Benjamin Moore 1427 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.
| Brand | Closest color | ΔE | LRV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Behr | Dangerously ElegantS540-6 · Behr | 2.9 | 15 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Shadow Mountain8003-48E · Valspar | 1.9 | 15 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Great GrapePPG1169-6 · PPG / Glidden | 0.7 | 16 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Great GrapePPG1169-6 · Glidden | 0.9 | 16 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Intuition Iris340-6DB · Dutch Boy | 3.0 | 15 | Color page → |
| Farrow & Ball | Pitch BlueNO. 220 · Farrow & Ball | 4.0 | 15 | Color page → |
Similar Benjamin Moore Colors
The nearest shades to French Violet within Benjamin Moore's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
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 #696D86 in HSL space. Pair French Violet with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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