Color spec
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams |
| Name | Modern Lavender |
| SKU | SW 9688 |
| Hex | #A8AAB3 |
| RGB | 168, 170, 179 |
| HSL | 229°, 7%, 68% |
| LRV | 40 |
| Undertone | cool blue tone |
| Family | Gray |
About Sherwin-Williams Modern Lavender
Modern Lavender sits in the mid-range at LRV 40, 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.
Modern Lavender 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 by brand
16 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.
Behr
Benjamin Moore
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Rodda
C2 Paint
Clare
Portola Paints
Rust-Oleum
Kompozit
Similar Sherwin-Williams colors
closest in the Sherwin-Williams deckThe nearest shades to Modern Lavender within Sherwin-Williams'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 #A8AAB3 in HSL space. Pair Modern Lavender 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.
Sherwin-Williams Modern Lavender Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Modern Lavender 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 Sherwin-Williams SW 9688 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Behr Equivalent of Modern Lavender
At Behr, the closest color to Modern Lavender is Classy (MQ5-4) — very close at ΔE 3.24, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 40 vs 40) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Classy swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Modern Lavender
Benjamin Moore's nearest match is Excalibur Gray (2118-50), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 41 vs 40) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Modern Lavender without repainting risk. See the full Excalibur Gray swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Modern Lavender
Valspar has no exact twin of Modern Lavender. The nearest is Metropolis (4005-1C) at ΔE 4.44 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 41 vs 40). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Metropolis swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Modern Lavender
At PPG / Glidden, the closest color to Modern Lavender is Gosling Gray (PPG0993-3) — very close at ΔE 2.23, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 42 vs 40) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Gosling Gray swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Modern Lavender
At Glidden, the closest color to Modern Lavender is Ascot Blue (90BG 41/040) — very close at ΔE 2.26, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 41 vs 40) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Ascot Blue swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Modern Lavender
Dutch Boy has no exact twin of Modern Lavender. The nearest is Payphone (434-3DB) at ΔE 4.6 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 41 vs 40). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Payphone swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Modern Lavender
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Modern Lavender. The nearest is Morning Fog (HGSW 1445) at ΔE 4.33 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 42 vs 40). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Morning Fog swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Modern Lavender
Dunn-Edwards has no exact twin of Modern Lavender. The nearest is Castlerock (DE6375) at ΔE 4.1 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly darker (LRV 37 vs 40). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Castlerock swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Modern Lavender
Diamond Vogel's nearest match is Baby Seal (0519), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.84). It runs slightly darker (LRV 38 vs 40) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Modern Lavender without repainting risk. See the full Baby Seal swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Modern Lavender
Hirshfield's has no exact twin of Modern Lavender. The nearest is Cystern (0511) at ΔE 3.64 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 44 vs 40). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Cystern swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Modern Lavender
At Rodda, the closest color to Modern Lavender is Wild and Free (R104) — very close at ΔE 2.55, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 40 vs 40) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Wild and Free swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Modern Lavender
Kompozit has no exact twin of Modern Lavender. The nearest is Cystern (0511) at ΔE 3.64 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 43 vs 40). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Cystern swatch →