Color guide · Dunn-Edwards · Purple

Exotic Violet

DE5003 · #E1A0CF · LRV 42 · warm magenta tone

DE5003 · #E1A0CF · LRV 42 — warm magenta tone, mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.

Exotic VioletDunn-Edwards · DE5003
The color, edge to edge.Use your own photo →
Exotic Violet
DUNN-EDWARDS · DE5003 · #E1A0CF
Brand · codeDunn-EdwardsDE5003 · all Dunn-Edwards purples
LRV42Mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.
Undertonewarm magenta tone
FamilyPurple
Hex · RGB · HSL#E1A0CF · 225, 160, 207 · 317°, 52%, 75%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. 1Blue Nova17
  2. 2Gothic Purple24
  3. 3Exotic Violet42
  4. 4French Lilac56
  5. 5Lavender Mist63
Undertone and depth

What Color Is Exotic Violet, Really?

Exotic Violet reads as a warm magenta tone — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover how Dunn-Edwards DE5003 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.

Room by room

Best Rooms and Uses for Exotic Violet

Exotic Violet 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 Exotic Violet

Exotic Violet sits in the mid-range at LRV 42, so it shifts visibly through the day — lighter and more open in morning light, deeper and moodier after dark. Its magenta 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 Exotic 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.

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 Dunn-Edwards DE5003 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 Dunn-Edwards Colors

The nearest shades to Exotic Violet within Dunn-Edwards'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 Exotic Violet · 10.1 : 1 · passes AA and AAAWhite text on Exotic Violet · 2.1 : 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 #E1A0CF in HSL space. Pair Exotic Violet with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#E1A0CF + #A0E1B2
TRIADIC
#E1A0CF · #CFE1A0 · #A0CFE1
ANALOGOUS
#D2A0E1 · #E1A0CF · #E1A0AF

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Jessica Williams

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