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CompositePaint
VALSPAR · V116-2

Valspar Made in the Shade#959C9C · LRV 32.5

Made in the Shade reads as a true neutral (no measurable hue) — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover the spec, what Valspar V116-2 actually looks like under different light, and the closest matches at competing US brands.

SEE IN A ROOM → CALCULATE PAINT NEEDED →
VALSPAR MADE IN THE SHADE
RGB 149, 156, 156 LRV 32.5

Color spec

Brand Valspar
Name Made in the Shade
SKU V116-2
Hex #959C9C
RGB 149, 156, 156
HSL 180°, 3%, 60%
LRV 32.5
Undertone true neutral (no measurable hue)
Family Gray

About Valspar Made in the Shade

Made in the Shade sits in the mid-range at LRV 32.5, so it shifts visibly through the day — lighter and more open in morning light, deeper and moodier after dark. Because it carries almost no measurable hue, it stays a true neutral and pairs cleanly with nearly any trim or floor. South-facing rooms will pull it lighter and warmer, while north light cools it down.

Made in the Shade 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.

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.

KOMPOZIT
Jet Gray
SKU 0548 · #9D9A9A · LRV 33
ΔE 5.3 (different)
SHOP KOMPOZIT ON AMAZON →

Closest matches at every US brand

9 brands · top 5 each

5 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 gray from that brand.

Behr

4,699 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.15
All gray at Behr →
790B-4
#969D9B
Puddle
ΔE 1.15 · LRV 33
N140-4
#969A9B
Tavern Taupe
ΔE 1.75 · LRV 32
N500-4
#999DA0
Pencil Sketch
ΔE 2.62 · LRV 33
HDC-NT-10A
#999998
Dolphin Gray
ΔE 3.48 · LRV 32
HDC-AC-23
#8B9C9B
Provence Blue
ΔE 4.36 · LRV 32

Magnolia Home

160 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.3
All gray at Magnolia Home →
JG-94
#929898
Times Past
ΔE 1.3 · LRV 31
JG-84
#91A1A4
Display
ΔE 3.78 · LRV 34
JG-69
#879B98
Well Watered
ΔE 5.9 · LRV 31
JG-75
#97A399
Clean Slate
ΔE 6.01 · LRV 35
JG-135
#A19C96
Watering Can
ΔE 6.26 · LRV 34

Benjamin Moore

3,934 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.44
All gray at Benjamin Moore →
1600
#9A9F9E
Gray Cardigan
ΔE 1.44 · LRV 35
2121-30
#979C9F
Pewter
ΔE 2.2 · LRV 34
HC-164
#979F9B
Puritan Gray
ΔE 2.44 · LRV 34
2122-30
#8F9D9E
Cloudy Sky
ΔE 2.9 · LRV
2126-40
#92999E
Sweatshirt Gray
ΔE 2.92 · LRV 32

Dunn-Edwards

1,696 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.65
All gray at Dunn-Edwards →
DEC789
#979D9A
Light Gray
ΔE 1.65 · LRV 33
DE6326
#949EA2
Soft Pumice
ΔE 2.27 · LRV 33
DE6368
#999B9B
Walrus
ΔE 2.47 · LRV 33
DE6319
#8D9A9E
Gray Flannel
ΔE 3 · LRV 31
DE6382
#97969A
Formal Gray
ΔE 5.38 · LRV 31

Sherwin-Williams

1,526 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.67
All gray at Sherwin-Williams →
SW 9162
#939899
African Gray
ΔE 1.67 · LRV 31
SW 9143
#91999C
Cadet
ΔE 1.87 · LRV 31
SW 7660
#969A96
Earl Grey
ΔE 2.42 · LRV 32
SW 9161
#959BA0
Dustblu
ΔE 2.98 · LRV 32
SW 9152
#979FA5
Let it Rain
ΔE 3.35 · LRV 34

PPG / Glidden

2,088 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.47
All gray at PPG / Glidden →
1011-4
#989FA3
Ufo
ΔE 2.47 · LRV 34
1036-4
#919FA1
After The Storm
ΔE 2.93 · LRV 33
1039-4
#8F989D
Pachyderm
ΔE 2.94 · LRV 31
1037-4
#8FA0A7
Symmetry
ΔE 4.64 · LRV 34
1034-5
#8C9FA0
Aqua Smoke
ΔE 4.75 · LRV 33

Clare

78 colors in deck · best ΔE 3.6
All gray at Clare →
PNT100-LT-15
#9CA2A7
Set In Stone
ΔE 3.6 · LRV 36
PNT100-MD-14
#91928C
Shade
ΔE 4.92 · LRV 28
PNT100-LT-38
#90A6AE
Good Jeans
ΔE 6.4 · LRV 36
PNT100-DP-78
#99AAA4
Mellow Mood
ΔE 6.56 · LRV 38
PNT100-LT-32
#9C9CA7
Cosmic Vibes
ΔE 7.62 · LRV 34

Farrow & Ball

132 colors in deck · best ΔE 4.48
All gray at Farrow & Ball →
NO. 265
#A2A29D
Manor House Gray
ΔE 4.48 · LRV 36
NO. 85
#8B9D9B
Oval Room Blue
ΔE 4.88 · LRV 32
NO. 25
#A1A093
Pigeon
ΔE 7 · LRV 35
NO. 243
#9F9389
Charleston Gray
ΔE 9.91 · LRV 30
NO. 19
#A1A189
Lichen
ΔE 10.7 · LRV 35

Backdrop

30 colors in deck · best ΔE 5.86
All gray at Backdrop →
BD-NU
#A4A89F
Nuevo
ΔE 5.86 · LRV 38
BD-PW
#7C8E97
Polly Wants
ΔE 7.45 · LRV 27
BD-LF
#A4AB95
Le Freak
ΔE 10.62 · LRV 35
BD-CT
#A89E8A
Carry the Two
ΔE 10.97 · LRV 33
BD-AN
#A89886
Anita
ΔE 12.23 · LRV 33

Similar Valspar colors

closest in the Valspar deck

The nearest shades to Made in the Shade within Valspar's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.

8006-7C
Chrome
LRV 32
M346
Summer Storm
LRV 32.3
4006-1C
Drizzling Mist
LRV 32
V140-4
Pipe Dream
LRV 32.3
4007-1C
Winter Flannel
LRV 31.5
V120-2
Still Life in Gray
LRV 32.5

Coordinated palette

Generated by hue-rotating #959C9C in HSL space. Pair Made in the Shade with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#959C9C + #9C9595
TRIADIC
#959C9C · #9C959C · #9C9C95
ANALOGOUS
#959C99 · #959C9C · #95999C

Accessibility (WCAG contrast)

Sample text on white
2.8:1 fail
Sample text on black
7.51:1 AAA

WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.

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