Shrinking Violet
PPG1162-5 · #5E84B0 · LRV 22 — cool blue tone, dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.
- 1Hale Navy8
- 2Waterloo13
- 3Shrinking Violet22
- 4Resolute Blue40
- 5Lost in the 80s51
What Color Is Shrinking Violet, Really?
Shrinking Violet reads as a cool blue tone — dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs. The notes below cover how PPG / Glidden PPG1162-5 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Shrinking Violet
Shrinking Violet works best as a feature — a single wall, built-ins, a study or dining room — rather than wrapping a whole bright space. Blues calm a room, which makes them popular in bedrooms, bathrooms and home offices.
How Lighting Changes Shrinking Violet
With an LRV of 22, Shrinking Violet 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.
Most complaints about Shrinking Violet are a light mismatch. Upload a photo of your actual room and see it on your walls — then ask for the same wall in north light or evening lamps before you buy a single sample.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint PPG / Glidden PPG1162-5 directly. If you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches, measured as ΔE2000. Under 2 is a difference you will not see on the wall.
| Brand | Closest color | ΔE | LRV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherwin-Williams | Perfect PeriwinkleSW 9065 · Sherwin-Williams | 1.4 | 23 | Color page → |
| Behr | Neon BluePPU15-06 · Behr | 1.0 | 22 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Yin Yang824 · Benjamin Moore | 3.6 | 23 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Picasso8001-44E · Valspar | 2.9 | 22 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Shrinking VioletPPG1162-5 · Glidden | 0.2 | 22 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Endless Summer139-5DB · Dutch Boy | 2.9 | 22 | Color page → |
Similar PPG / Glidden Colors
The nearest shades to Shrinking Violet within PPG / Glidden's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
WCAG 2.1: AA is 4.5 : 1 for normal text, 3 : 1 for large text, AAA is 7 : 1.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #5E84B0 in HSL space. Pair Shrinking Violet with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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