Color spec
| Brand | Glidden |
| Name | Plum Shade |
| SKU | PPG1173-6 |
| Hex | #78738B |
| RGB | 120, 115, 139 |
| HSL | 252°, 9%, 50% |
| LRV | 18 |
| Undertone | cool blue tone |
| Family | Gray |
About Glidden Plum Shade
With an LRV of 18, Plum Shade 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.
Plum Shade 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
PPG / Glidden
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
C2 Paint
Kompozit
Similar Glidden colors
closest in the Glidden deckThe nearest shades to Plum Shade within Glidden'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 #78738B in HSL space. Pair Plum Shade 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.
Glidden Plum Shade Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Plum Shade 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 Glidden PPG1173-6 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Plum Shade
Sherwin-Williams's nearest match is Mythical (SW 6550), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.94). It runs slightly lighter (LRV 20 vs 18) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Plum Shade without repainting risk. See the full Mythical swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Plum Shade
Behr has no exact twin of Plum Shade. The nearest is Little Theater (MQ5-07) at ΔE 4.14 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 19 vs 18). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Little Theater swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Plum Shade
The closest PPG / Glidden equivalent of Plum Shade is Plum Shade (PPG1173-6). At ΔE 0.53 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same cool blue undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 18 vs 18). If PPG / Glidden is your counter, order Plum Shade and you'll get the same color. See the full Plum Shade swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Plum Shade
Dutch Boy's nearest match is Sweet Pansies (244-5DB), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.95). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 19 vs 18) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Plum Shade without repainting risk. See the full Sweet Pansies swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Plum Shade
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams's nearest match is Purple Peacock (HGSW 2413), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.94). It runs slightly lighter (LRV 20 vs 18) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Plum Shade without repainting risk. See the full Purple Peacock swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Plum Shade
Dunn-Edwards has no exact twin of Plum Shade. The nearest is Grape Jam (DE5949) at ΔE 4.44 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 19 vs 18). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Grape Jam swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Plum Shade
Hirshfield's's nearest match is Dancing in the Spring (1291), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.7). It runs slightly lighter (LRV 20 vs 18) and carries a cool violet undertone, so it substitutes for Plum Shade without repainting risk. See the full Dancing in the Spring swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Plum Shade
At C2 Paint, the closest color to Plum Shade is Bohemian (C2-778) — very close at ΔE 2.33, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 18 vs 18) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Bohemian swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Plum Shade
Kompozit's nearest match is Dancing in the Spring (1291), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.7). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 18 vs 18) and carries a cool violet undertone, so it substitutes for Plum Shade without repainting risk. See the full Dancing in the Spring swatch →