Color spec
| Brand | Dunn-Edwards |
| Name | Purple Prose |
| SKU | DET405 |
| Hex | #554348 |
| RGB | 85, 67, 72 |
| HSL | 343°, 12%, 30% |
| LRV | 7 |
| Undertone | red / warm |
| 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 at every US brand
13 brands · top 5 each5 closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all brown from that brand.
Behr
Valspar
Benjamin Moore
C2 Paint
Magnolia Home
Diamond Vogel
Sherwin-Williams
Dutch Boy
Farrow & Ball
Kompozit
PPG / Glidden
Clare
Backdrop
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.
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
Clare Equivalent of Purple Prose
Clare doesn't make a true equivalent of Purple Prose — the nearest deck color, Blackish (PNT100-DP-54), is clearly different (ΔE 10.42). For an exact match, any Clare retailer can custom-tint Dunn-Edwards DET405 instead. See the full Blackish swatch →
Backdrop Equivalent of Purple Prose
Backdrop doesn't make a true equivalent of Purple Prose — the nearest deck color, It's a Date (BD-IT), is clearly different (ΔE 10.6). For an exact match, any Backdrop retailer can custom-tint Dunn-Edwards DET405 instead. See the full It's a Date swatch →