Dusty Heather
SW 9073 · #8990A3 · LRV 28 — cool blue tone, mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.
- 1Hale Navy8
- 2Waterloo13
- 3Dusty Heather28
- 4Resolute Blue40
- 5Lost in the 80s51
What Color Is Dusty Heather, Really?
Dusty Heather reads as a cool blue tone — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover how Sherwin-Williams SW 9073 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Dusty Heather
Dusty Heather is versatile enough for full rooms but has enough depth to anchor a space, so it suits living rooms, bedrooms and cabinetry alike. Blues calm a room, which makes them popular in bedrooms, bathrooms and home offices.
How Lighting Changes Dusty Heather
Dusty Heather sits in the mid-range at LRV 28, so it shifts visibly through the day — lighter and more open in morning light, deeper and moodier after dark. 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. South-facing rooms will pull it lighter and warmer, while north light cools it down.
Most complaints about Dusty Heather 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 Sherwin-Williams SW 9073 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Behr | CamelotS550-4 · Behr | 1.5 | 28 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Flower BoxCSP-530 · Benjamin Moore | 1.3 | 28 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Macaw8003-48D · Valspar | 3.8 | 29 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Violet VerbenaPPG1169-5 · PPG / Glidden | 2.7 | 27 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Cotton FlannelPPG1171-5 · Glidden | 3.3 | 28 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Come Catch Me243-4DB · Dutch Boy | 3.6 | 29 | Color page → |
Similar Sherwin-Williams Colors
The nearest shades to Dusty Heather within Sherwin-Williams'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 #8990A3 in HSL space. Pair Dusty Heather with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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