Color spec
| Brand | Dunn-Edwards |
| Name | Soft Charcoal |
| SKU | DE5935 |
| Hex | #838298 |
| RGB | 131, 130, 152 |
| HSL | 243°, 10%, 55% |
| LRV | 22 |
| Undertone | cool blue tone |
| Family | Gray |
About Dunn-Edwards Soft Charcoal
With an LRV of 22, Soft Charcoal 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.
Soft Charcoal works best as a feature — a single wall, built-ins, a study or dining room — rather than wrapping a whole bright space. Grays like this read as a modern neutral and sit comfortably alongside both warm woods and cool metals.
Closest matches by brand
10 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 gray from that brand.
Sherwin-Williams
Behr
Benjamin Moore
Valspar
Glidden
Dutch Boy
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
C2 Paint
Kompozit
Similar Dunn-Edwards colors
closest in the Dunn-Edwards deckThe nearest shades to Soft Charcoal 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 #838298 in HSL space. Pair Soft Charcoal 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 Soft Charcoal Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Soft Charcoal 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 DE5935 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Behr Equivalent of Soft Charcoal
At Behr, the closest color to Soft Charcoal is Metro (PPU16-16) — very close at ΔE 2.74, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 23 vs 22) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Metro swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Soft Charcoal
Benjamin Moore's nearest match is Purple Haze (1413), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.72). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 23 vs 22) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Soft Charcoal without repainting risk. See the full Purple Haze swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Soft Charcoal
Valspar has no exact twin of Soft Charcoal. The nearest is Horseshoe (8004-48E) at ΔE 4.27 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 24 vs 22). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Horseshoe swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Soft Charcoal
At Glidden, the closest color to Soft Charcoal is Soft Greyed Heather (10RB 24/081) — very close at ΔE 3, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 24 vs 22) and carries a cool violet undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Soft Greyed Heather swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Soft Charcoal
Dutch Boy has no exact twin of Soft Charcoal. The nearest is Deep Wisteria (341-5DB) at ΔE 4.72 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 23 vs 22). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Deep Wisteria swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Soft Charcoal
Hirshfield's has no exact twin of Soft Charcoal. The nearest is Violet Vibes (1290) at ΔE 3.57 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 25 vs 22). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Violet Vibes swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Soft Charcoal
C2 Paint has no exact twin of Soft Charcoal. The nearest is Nightcap (C2-779) at ΔE 4.09 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 25 vs 22). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Nightcap swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Soft Charcoal
Kompozit has no exact twin of Soft Charcoal. The nearest is Violet Vibes (1290) at ΔE 3.57 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 23 vs 22). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Violet Vibes swatch →