Color spec
| Brand | Dunn-Edwards |
| Name | Purple Prose |
| SKU | DET405 |
| Hex | #554348 |
| RGB | 85, 67, 72 |
| HSL | 343°, 12%, 30% |
| LRV | 7 |
| Undertone | warm red tone |
| Family | Brown |
About Dunn-Edwards Purple Prose
At LRV 7, Purple Prose is about as dark as paint gets — it reads near-black on a wall and reveals its character only in direct daylight or under warm bulbs. 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. In rooms with little natural light it can feel heavy, so reserve it for spaces you want to feel enveloping.
Purple Prose earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Browns ground a room and pair naturally with leather, wood and warm metals.
Closest matches by brand
17 brands within ΔE 5The closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Only colors within ΔE 5 (close enough to substitute on a wall) are shown — brands with no real match are left off. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all brown from that brand.
Sherwin-Williams
Behr
Benjamin Moore
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Magnolia Home
Farrow & Ball
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Rodda
C2 Paint
Clare
Portola Paints
Kompozit
Similar Dunn-Edwards colors
closest in the Dunn-Edwards deckThe nearest shades to Purple Prose within Dunn-Edwards'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 #554348 in HSL space. Pair Purple Prose 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.
Dunn-Edwards Purple Prose Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Purple Prose from a different paint counter? Below is the single closest color in each major US deck and how close it really is. Remember that any paint store can also custom-tint Dunn-Edwards DET405 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Purple Prose
At Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Purple Prose is Plum Brown (SW 6272) — very close at ΔE 2.81, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 7) and carries a warm magenta undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Plum Brown swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Purple Prose
The closest Behr equivalent of Purple Prose is Black Raspberry (HDC-FL14-9). At ΔE 0.34 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same warm red undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 7). If Behr is your counter, order Black Raspberry and you'll get the same color. See the full Black Raspberry swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Purple Prose
At Benjamin Moore, the closest color to Purple Prose is Vintage Wine (2116-20) — very close at ΔE 2.25, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 7) and carries a warm red undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Vintage Wine swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Purple Prose
The closest Valspar equivalent of Purple Prose is Raspberry Truffle (M101). At ΔE 0.78 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same warm red undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 6.7 vs 7). If Valspar is your counter, order Raspberry Truffle and you'll get the same color. See the full Raspberry Truffle swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Purple Prose
PPG / Glidden has no exact twin of Purple Prose. The nearest is Black Elegance (PPG1004-7) at ΔE 4.55 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Black Elegance swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Purple Prose
At Glidden, the closest color to Purple Prose is Black Currant (30RR 07/094) — very close at ΔE 2.01, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7) and carries a warm magenta undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Black Currant swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Purple Prose
At Dutch Boy, the closest color to Purple Prose is Desert Fig (446-7DB) — very close at ΔE 2.81, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 7) and carries a warm magenta undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Desert Fig swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Purple Prose
At HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Purple Prose is Plum Brown (HGSW 3401) — very close at ΔE 2.81, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 7) and carries a warm magenta undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Plum Brown swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Purple Prose
At Magnolia Home, the closest color to Purple Prose is Moody Fig (JG-155) — very close at ΔE 2.26, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7) and carries a warm red undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Moody Fig swatch →
Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Purple Prose
At Farrow & Ball, the closest color to Purple Prose is Pelt (NO. 254) — very close at ΔE 3.04, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7) and carries a warm magenta undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Pelt swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Purple Prose
At Diamond Vogel, the closest color to Purple Prose is Purple Shadow (1215) — very close at ΔE 2.83, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7) and carries a warm magenta undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Purple Shadow swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Purple Prose
Hirshfield's's nearest match is Beauport Aubergine (H0067), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.99). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 7) and carries a warm red undertone, so it substitutes for Purple Prose without repainting risk. See the full Beauport Aubergine swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Purple Prose
C2 Paint's nearest match is Wicked (C2-501), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.98). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7) and carries a warm magenta undertone, so it substitutes for Purple Prose without repainting risk. See the full Wicked swatch →
Portola Paints Equivalent of Purple Prose
Portola Paints has no exact twin of Purple Prose. The nearest is Poe (POE) at ΔE 4.8 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 7). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Poe swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Purple Prose
Kompozit has no exact twin of Purple Prose. The nearest is My Place or Yours? (1313) at ΔE 3.93 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 7). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full My Place or Yours? swatch →