Home › Benjamin Moore › Purple › African Violet
African Violet 2116-50
On-screen approximation from the published RGB value. Order a physical sample before you decide.
Undertone: Noticeable purple undertone
In CIELAB, African Violet sits at L* 76.1, a* 4.8, b* -4.5. Its hue angle is 317° and its chroma is 6.6, so it leans purple clearly enough to notice on a full wall. It classifies as neutral-cool. Among Benjamin Moore colors with a similar LRV (±5), it is warmer (more yellow) than 17%.
LRV 50.7: light
Light Reflectance Value runs from 0 (absolute black) to 100 (perfect white). At 50.7, African Violet is lighter than 55% of Benjamin Moore colors. The most forgiving range for whole-house walls. Keeps rooms bright without glare.
Closest Sherwin-Williams match to African Violet
Ranked by CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE) computed from published RGB values. Below 2 is hard to tell apart on the wall; above 4 is a different color.
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grape Mist | SW 6548 | 2.35 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Veiled Violet | SW 6268 | 3.45 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Enchant | SW 6555 | 3.73 | Close — difference visible side by side |
Closest Behr match to African Violet
Ranked by CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE) computed from published RGB values. Below 2 is hard to tell apart on the wall; above 4 is a different color. Behr does not publish LRV, so Behr values here are estimates.
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aster | PPU16-09 | 1.20 | Very close | |
| Aster | PPU16-9 | 1.20 | Very close | |
| Foxgloves | 660E-3 | 1.98 | Very close |
Similar Benjamin Moore colors
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iced Mauve | 2115-50 | 2.77 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| After the Rain | 1452 | 3.25 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Piano Concerto | 1445 | 3.32 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Violetta | AF-615 | 3.60 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| North Cascades | 1411 | 3.81 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Violet Petal | 1382 | 4.26 | Similar, clearly different |
Lighter and darker versions
Colors from Benjamin Moore with nearly the same hue and saturation, one step lighter or darker.
- North Cascades 1411 · lighter, LRV 55.1
- Violet Petal 1382 · lighter, LRV 54.3
- Instinct AF-575 · lighter, LRV 55.1
- Manor Blue 1627 · darker, LRV 46.8
- Silent Night 1613 · darker, LRV 45.4
- Silver Dollar 1460 · darker, LRV 44.3
Colors that go with African Violet
Color-theory pairings — the nearest Benjamin Moore color to each rotated hue, keeping the same lightness and saturation:
- Misted Green 2138-50 · complementary (180°)
- Lavender Blue 1438 · analogous (−30°)
- Violetta AF-615 · analogous (+30°)
- Hazelwood 1005 · triadic (120°)
- Wedgewood Gray HC-146 · triadic (240°)
African Violet vs popular colors
- French Lilac (Benjamin Moore 1403, ΔE 5.2) is lighter (LRV 56.1 vs 50.7), more blue/cool, more saturated.
- Winter Gray (Benjamin Moore 2117-60, ΔE 5.4) is lighter (LRV 61.7 vs 50.7), more green.
- Lavender Mist (Benjamin Moore 2070-60, ΔE 6.6) is lighter (LRV 63.2 vs 50.7), more blue/cool, more green, more saturated.