Modern Lavender
SW 9688 · #A8AAB3 · LRV 40 — cool blue tone, mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.
- 1Pewter Green12
- 2Retreat21
- 3Modern Lavender40
- 4Upward57
- 5Sea Salt63
What Color Is Modern Lavender, Really?
Modern Lavender reads as a cool blue tone — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover how Sherwin-Williams SW 9688 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Modern Lavender
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.
How Lighting Changes 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.
Most complaints about Modern Lavender 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 9688 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 | Canyon SunsetT12-3 · Behr | 1.8 | 38 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Excalibur Gray2118-50 · Benjamin Moore | 1.0 | 41 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Metropolis4005-1C · Valspar | 4.4 | 41 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Gosling GrayPPG0993-3 · PPG / Glidden | 2.2 | 42 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Ascot Blue90BG 41/040 · Glidden | 2.3 | 41 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Payphone434-3DB · Dutch Boy | 4.6 | 41 | Color page → |
Similar Sherwin-Williams Colors
The 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.
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 #A8AAB3 in HSL space. Pair Modern Lavender with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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