Valspar Au Contraire#F49381 · LRV 41.9
Au Contraire reads as a red / warm — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover the spec, what Valspar M201 actually looks like under different light, and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Color spec
| Brand | Valspar |
| Name | Au Contraire |
| SKU | M201 |
| Hex | #F49381 |
| RGB | 244, 147, 129 |
| HSL | 9°, 84%, 73% |
| LRV | 41.9 |
| Undertone | red / warm |
| Family | Orange |
About Valspar Au Contraire
Au Contraire sits in the mid-range at LRV 41.9, so it shifts visibly through the day — lighter and more open in morning light, deeper and moodier after dark. Its red 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.
Au Contraire is versatile enough for full rooms but has enough depth to anchor a space, so it suits living rooms, bedrooms and cabinetry alike. Earthy oranges and terracottas warm up dining rooms and entries.
Kompozit alternative
The closest hex in the Kompozit deck, ranked by ΔE2000 (perceptual color difference). ΔE under 2 is indistinguishable to most eyes; under 5 is a very close visual match.
Closest matches at every US brand
9 brands · top 5 each5 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 orange from that brand.
Benjamin Moore
Dunn-Edwards
Sherwin-Williams
Behr
PPG / Glidden
Clare
Backdrop
Farrow & Ball
Magnolia Home
Similar Valspar colors
closest in the Valspar deckThe nearest shades to Au Contraire within Valspar'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 #F49381 in HSL space. Pair Au Contraire 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.