CP
PORTOLA PAINTS · MAGIC POTION

Portola Paints Magic Potion#BAB5BD · LRV 47

Magic Potion reads as a violet / cool — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover the spec, what Portola Paints Magic Potion actually looks like under different light, and the closest matches at competing US brands.

PORTOLA PAINTS MAGIC POTION
RGB 186, 181, 189 LRV 47

Color spec

Brand Portola Paints
Name Magic Potion
SKU Magic Potion
Hex #BAB5BD
RGB 186, 181, 189
HSL 277°, 6%, 73%
LRV 47
Undertone violet / cool
Family Gray

About Portola Paints Magic Potion

Magic Potion sits in the mid-range at LRV 47, so it shifts visibly through the day — lighter and more open in morning light, deeper and moodier after dark. Because it carries almost no measurable hue, it stays a true neutral and pairs cleanly with nearly any trim or floor. South-facing rooms will pull it lighter and warmer, while north light cools it down.

Magic Potion is versatile enough for full rooms but has enough depth to anchor a space, so it suits living rooms, bedrooms and cabinetry alike. Grays like this read as a modern neutral and sit comfortably alongside both warm woods and cool metals.

Closest matches at every US brand

20 brands · top 5 each

5 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 gray from that brand.

Sherwin-Williams

1,947 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.18
All gray at Sherwin-Williams →
SW 6268 · #BDB5B9 · ΔE 2.18 · LRV 47
SW 7079 · #BCB6B6 · ΔE 3.98 · LRV 48
SW 6275 · #BDB8B8 · ΔE 4.11 · LRV 48
SW 6009 · #C2B6B6 · ΔE 4.59 · LRV 48
SW 6002 · #BCB8B6 · ΔE 5.36 · LRV 48

Behr

5,644 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.52
All gray at Behr →
PPU16-09 · #BEB7C1 · ΔE 1.52 · LRV 49
PPU16-9 · #BEB7C1 · ΔE 1.52 · LRV 49
740A-3 · #BEB6BB · ΔE 1.86 · LRV 48
730B-4 · #B9B4B8 · ΔE 1.99 · LRV 46
PPU16-10 · #BDB8BB · ΔE 2.57 · LRV 49

Benjamin Moore

3,934 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.47
All gray at Benjamin Moore →
1452 · #C1B9BD · ΔE 2.47 · LRV 50
AF-615 · #C4B7BB · ΔE 3.8 · LRV 49
2114-50 · #C2B5B7 · ΔE 4.17 · LRV 48
1438 · #B3B9C7 · ΔE 5.46 · LRV 49
AF-670 · #B6B4B2 · ΔE 5.82 · LRV 46

Valspar

2,858 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.65
All gray at Valspar →
8004-48C · #B6B4BB · ΔE 1.65 · LRV 46
8004-1C · #B8B3B6 · ΔE 2.55 · LRV 46
V125-3 · #B8B3B6 · ΔE 2.55 · LRV 45.7
8003-1B · #BEB3BE · ΔE 3.06 · LRV 47
8006-12C · #B8B4B4 · ΔE 4.22 · LRV 46

PPG / Glidden

2,132 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.97
All gray at PPG / Glidden →
PPG1172-4 · #B9B3BF · ΔE 1.97 · LRV 46
PPG1003-3 · #B8B3B6 · ΔE 2.55 · LRV 46
PPG1174-4 · #B9B3C2 · ΔE 3.19 · LRV 46
PPG1043-4 · #B0B3BE · ΔE 4.01 · LRV 45
PPG0995-4 · #B9B9B6 · ΔE 7.03 · LRV 48

Glidden

3,101 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.97
All gray at Glidden →
PPG1172-4 · #B9B3BF · ΔE 1.97 · LRV 46
30RR 46/018 · #BAB4B7 · ΔE 2.44 · LRV 46
PPG1003-3 · #B8B4B6 · ΔE 3.15 · LRV 46
PPG1174-4 · #B9B3C2 · ΔE 3.19 · LRV 46
50BG 46/020 · #B2B6B9 · ΔE 5.85 · LRV 46

Dutch Boy

1,340 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.13
All gray at Dutch Boy →
343-3DB · #B7B3BD · ΔE 1.13 · LRV 46
444-2DB · #B8B4B7 · ΔE 2.64 · LRV 46
345-3DB · #BEB3BE · ΔE 3.06 · LRV 47
341-3DB · #B2B4BB · ΔE 3.7 · LRV 46
245-3DB · #C0B3C4 · ΔE 5.28 · LRV 48
HGSW 3406 · #BDB5B9 · ΔE 2.18 · LRV 47
HGSW 6268 · #BDB5B9 · ΔE 2.18 · LRV 47
HGSW 3376 · #BDB8B8 · ΔE 4.11 · LRV 48
HGSW 6275 · #BDB8B8 · ΔE 4.11 · LRV 48
HGSW 3426 · #C2B6B6 · ΔE 4.59 · LRV 48

Dunn-Edwards

2,298 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.86
All gray at Dunn-Edwards →
DEGR78 · #B7B4B7 · ΔE 2.86 · LRV 47
DE6381 · #B6B5B8 · ΔE 3.46 · LRV 44
DE6038 · #C3B4B3 · ΔE 5.6 · LRV 44
DE6367 · #B9BABA · ΔE 5.72 · LRV 46
DE6339 · #B0B9C1 · ΔE 7.13 · LRV 44

Magnolia Home

160 colors in deck · best ΔE 8.39
All gray at Magnolia Home →
JG-123 · #BBBDB9 · ΔE 8.39 · LRV 50
JG-133 · #C6BBB2 · ΔE 8.71 · LRV 51
JG-19 · #BDB7AC · ΔE 10.01 · LRV 48
JG-01 · #A8B6B4 · ΔE 11.56 · LRV 45
JG-06 · #B9BFB5 · ΔE 12.55 · LRV 51

Farrow & Ball

209 colors in deck · best ΔE 7.37
All gray at Farrow & Ball →
NO. 267 · #B7AFA9 · ΔE 7.37 · LRV 44
NO. 88 · #B1B1AA · ΔE 9.38 · LRV 44
NO. 275 · #C0BCB3 · ΔE 9.4 · LRV 50
NO. 27 · #B2BFC5 · ΔE 9.43 · LRV 51
NO. 22 · #B5BBB4 · ΔE 10.35 · LRV 49

Diamond Vogel

1,386 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.22
All gray at Diamond Vogel →
1317 · #B3B2BC · ΔE 2.22 · LRV 45
1302 · #BEB2BC · ΔE 3.26 · LRV 46
0518 · #B9BABF · ΔE 3.72 · LRV 49
1310 · #C1B3BF · ΔE 4.32 · LRV 47
1288 · #B9B2C4 · ΔE 4.49 · LRV 46

Hirshfield's

1,469 colors in deck · best ΔE 3.21
All gray at Hirshfield's →
1302 · #BBB0BB · ΔE 3.21 · LRV 46
1310 · #BDB0BC · ΔE 4.07 · LRV 46
0518 · #B6B8BD · ΔE 4.13 · LRV 49
0552 · #BCB6B4 · ΔE 5.07 · LRV 49
0532 · #B7B7B4 · ΔE 7.01 · LRV 48

Rodda

357 colors in deck · best ΔE 3.7
All gray at Rodda →
R115 · #C1B4B8 · ΔE 3.7 · LRV 48
CA199 · #B0B0B2 · ΔE 4.64 · LRV 44
R097 · #B3BEC5 · ΔE 8.36 · LRV 51
R044 · #BCB8AE · ΔE 9.83 · LRV 49
CA183 · #B6BBB4 · ΔE 10.05 · LRV 49

C2 Paint

580 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.21
All gray at C2 Paint →
C2-782 · #B8B5BF · ΔE 1.21 · LRV 47
C2-990 · #B7B9B6 · ΔE 7.41 · LRV 48
C2-958 · #B4B1AC · ΔE 7.47 · LRV 44
C2-798 · #C1B8AF · ΔE 8.68 · LRV 49
C2-974 · #AAB6B6 · ΔE 10.27 · LRV 45

Clare

78 colors in deck · best ΔE 7.13
All gray at Clare →
PNT100-LT-13 · #C2B8B2 · ΔE 7.13 · LRV 49
PNT100-LT-09 · #C1C3C0 · ΔE 7.99 · LRV 54
PNT100-MD-73 · #ADBECB · ΔE 10.19 · LRV 50
PNT100-LT-37 · #B1C6CA · ΔE 13.08 · LRV 54
PNT100-MD-48 · #B5B9A6 · ΔE 15.67 · LRV 47

Annie Sloan

31 colors in deck · best ΔE 5.11
All gray at Annie Sloan →
PALOMA · #BFB5B3 · ΔE 5.11 · LRV 47
CHICAGO GREY · #BABAB9 · ΔE 5.91 · LRV 49
LOUIS BLUE · #AEBECB · ΔE 9.8 · LRV 50
PARIS GREY · #BEC0B3 · ΔE 12.8 · LRV 52
SVENSKA BLUE · #A4BEB7 · ΔE 16.45 · LRV 48

Backdrop

30 colors in deck · best ΔE 11.06
All gray at Backdrop →
BD-UD · #A4B5BB · ΔE 11.06 · LRV 41
BD-NU · #A4A89F · ΔE 12.36 · LRV 38
BD-LO · #A4C2D2 · ΔE 14.62 · LRV 51
BD-RO · #D2A299 · ΔE 15.55 · LRV 38
BD-LF · #A4AB95 · ΔE 18.07 · LRV 35

Rust-Oleum

16 colors in deck · best ΔE 4.69
All gray at Rust-Oleum →
285143 · #B6B9BE · ΔE 4.69 · LRV 48
285142 · #E2CDCC · ΔE 9.82 · LRV 64
371675 · #8CA8A9 · ΔE 16.76 · LRV 36
371674 · #A5A78F · ΔE 18 · LRV 38
285139 · #ACCECD · ΔE 18.09 · LRV 57

Kompozit

1,321 colors in deck · best ΔE 3.21
All gray at Kompozit →
1302 · #BBB0BB · ΔE 3.21 · LRV 45
1310 · #BDB0BC · ΔE 4.07 · LRV 46
0518 · #B6B8BD · ΔE 4.13 · LRV 48
0552 · #BCB6B4 · ΔE 5.07 · LRV 47
0532 · #B7B7B4 · ΔE 7.01 · LRV 47

Similar Portola Paints colors

closest in the Portola Paints deck

The nearest shades to Magic Potion within Portola Paints's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.

Simmer Down · LRV 46
Piano Room · LRV 47
Aberdeen · LRV 45
Costa · LRV 49
Sevilla · LRV 47
Pigeon Gray · LRV 56

Coordinated palette

Generated by hue-rotating #BAB5BD in HSL space. Pair Magic Potion with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#BAB5BD + #B8BDB5
TRIADIC
#BAB5BD · #BDBAB5 · #B5BDBA
ANALOGOUS
#B6B5BD · #BAB5BD · #BDB5BC

Accessibility (WCAG contrast)

Sample text on white
2.01:1 fail
Sample text on black
10.43:1 AAA

WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.

Portola Paints Magic Potion Equivalents at Other Brands

Matching Magic Potion 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 Portola Paints Magic Potion directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.

Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Magic Potion

At Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Magic Potion is Veiled Violet (SW 6268) — very close at ΔE 2.18, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 47 vs 47) and carries a warm magenta undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Veiled Violet swatch →

Behr Equivalent of Magic Potion

Behr's nearest match is Winter Cocoa (730B-4), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.99). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 46 vs 47) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Magic Potion without repainting risk. See the full Winter Cocoa swatch →

Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Magic Potion

Benjamin Moore has no exact twin of Magic Potion. The nearest is Victorian Mauve (2114-50) at ΔE 4.17 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 48 vs 47). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Victorian Mauve swatch →

Valspar Equivalent of Magic Potion

Valspar's nearest match is Titanium Man (8004-48C), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.65). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 46 vs 47) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Magic Potion without repainting risk. See the full Titanium Man swatch →

PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Magic Potion

PPG / Glidden's nearest match is Ash Grove (PPG1172-4), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.97). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 46 vs 47) and carries a cool violet undertone, so it substitutes for Magic Potion without repainting risk. See the full Ash Grove swatch →

Glidden Equivalent of Magic Potion

Glidden's nearest match is Ash Grove (PPG1172-4), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.97). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 46 vs 47) and carries a cool violet undertone, so it substitutes for Magic Potion without repainting risk. See the full Ash Grove swatch →

Dutch Boy Equivalent of Magic Potion

Dutch Boy's nearest match is Healing Lilac (343-3DB), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.13). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 46 vs 47) and carries a cool violet undertone, so it substitutes for Magic Potion without repainting risk. See the full Healing Lilac swatch →

HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Magic Potion

At HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Magic Potion is High Note (HGSW 3406) — very close at ΔE 2.18, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 47 vs 47) and carries a warm magenta undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full High Note swatch →

Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Magic Potion

At Dunn-Edwards, the closest color to Magic Potion is Silver Bullet (DE6381) — very close at ΔE 3.46, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly darker (LRV 44 vs 47) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Silver Bullet swatch →

Magnolia Home Equivalent of Magic Potion

Magnolia Home doesn't make a true equivalent of Magic Potion — the nearest deck color, Day-to-day (JG-123), is clearly different (ΔE 8.39). For an exact match, any Magnolia Home retailer can custom-tint Portola Paints Magic Potion instead. See the full Day-to-day swatch →

Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Magic Potion

Farrow & Ball doesn't make a true equivalent of Magic Potion — the nearest deck color, Light Blue (NO. 22), is clearly different (ΔE 10.35). For an exact match, any Farrow & Ball retailer can custom-tint Portola Paints Magic Potion instead. See the full Light Blue swatch →

Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Magic Potion

At Diamond Vogel, the closest color to Magic Potion is Heather Hill (1302) — very close at ΔE 3.26, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 46 vs 47) and carries a warm magenta undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Heather Hill swatch →

Hirshfield's Equivalent of Magic Potion

Hirshfield's has no exact twin of Magic Potion. The nearest is Let It Rain (0518) at ΔE 4.13 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 49 vs 47). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Let It Rain swatch →

Rodda Equivalent of Magic Potion

Rodda has no exact twin of Magic Potion. The nearest is Hue is the Artist? (R115) at ΔE 3.7 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 48 vs 47). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Hue is the Artist? swatch →

C2 Paint Equivalent of Magic Potion

C2 Paint's nearest match is Bella Donna (C2-782), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.21). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 47 vs 47) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Magic Potion without repainting risk. See the full Bella Donna swatch →

Clare Equivalent of Magic Potion

Clare doesn't make a true equivalent of Magic Potion — the nearest deck color, Greige (PNT100-LT-13), is clearly different (ΔE 7.13). For an exact match, any Clare retailer can custom-tint Portola Paints Magic Potion instead. See the full Greige swatch →

Annie Sloan Equivalent of Magic Potion

Annie Sloan doesn't make a true equivalent of Magic Potion — the nearest deck color, Paloma (PALOMA), is clearly different (ΔE 5.11). For an exact match, any Annie Sloan retailer can custom-tint Portola Paints Magic Potion instead. See the full Paloma swatch →

Backdrop Equivalent of Magic Potion

Backdrop doesn't make a true equivalent of Magic Potion — the nearest deck color, Underdog (BD-UD), is clearly different (ΔE 11.06). For an exact match, any Backdrop retailer can custom-tint Portola Paints Magic Potion instead. See the full Underdog swatch →

Rust-Oleum Equivalent of Magic Potion

Rust-Oleum has no exact twin of Magic Potion. The nearest is Aged Gray (285143) at ΔE 4.69 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 48 vs 47). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Aged Gray swatch →

Kompozit Equivalent of Magic Potion

Kompozit has no exact twin of Magic Potion. The nearest is Let It Rain (0518) at ΔE 4.13 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 48 vs 47). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Let It Rain swatch →

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