Home › Sherwin-Williams › Gray › Modern Lavender
Modern Lavender SW 9688
On-screen approximation from the published RGB value. Order a physical sample before you decide.
Undertone: Subtle blue undertone
In CIELAB, Modern Lavender sits at L* 69.7, a* 1.0, b* -4.9. Its hue angle is 282° and its chroma is 5.0, so it leans blue only slightly — the undertone mostly shows next to whiter or grayer colors. It classifies as cool. Among Sherwin-Williams colors with a similar LRV (±5), it is warmer (more yellow) than 12%.
LRV 40.5: mid-tone
Light Reflectance Value runs from 0 (absolute black) to 100 (perfect white). At 40.5, Modern Lavender is lighter than 51% of Sherwin-Williams colors. Reads clearly as a color. Best in rooms with good natural light, or as an accent wall; small dark rooms may feel smaller.
Closest Benjamin Moore match to Modern Lavender
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excalibur Gray | 2118-50 | 1.00 | Very close | |
| Pigeon Gray | 2133-50 | 2.77 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Nickel | 2119-50 | 2.80 | Close — difference visible side by side |
Closest Behr match to Modern Lavender
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canyon Sunset | T12-3 | 1.81 | Very close | |
| Masterpiece | MQ5-8 | 2.36 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Masterpiece | MQ5-08 | 2.36 | Close — difference visible side by side |
Similar Sherwin-Williams colors
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mysterious Mauve | SW 6262 | 3.20 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Swanky Gray | SW 6261 | 4.13 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Morning Fog | SW 6255 | 4.33 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Mystical Shade | SW 6276 | 4.76 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Network Gray | SW 7073 | 4.78 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Beguiling Mauve | SW 6269 | 4.92 | Similar, clearly different |
Lighter and darker versions
Colors from Sherwin-Williams with nearly the same hue and saturation, one step lighter or darker.
- Stardew SW 9138 · lighter, LRV 43.1
- Dockside Blue SW 7601 · lighter, LRV 43.1
- Swanky Gray SW 6261 · lighter, LRV 44.7
- Network Gray SW 7073 · darker, LRV 37.3
- Mysterious Mauve SW 6262 · darker, LRV 37.1
- Castlegate SW 9558 · darker, LRV 37.0
Colors that go with Modern Lavender
Color-theory pairings — the nearest Sherwin-Williams color to each rotated hue, keeping the same lightness and saturation:
- Dorian Gray SW 7017 · complementary (180°)
- Morning Fog SW 6255 · analogous (−30°)
- Beguiling Mauve SW 6269 · analogous (+30°)
- Flexible Gray SW 6010 · triadic (120°)
- Eventide SW 9643 · triadic (240°)
Modern Lavender vs popular colors
- Coventry Gray (Benjamin Moore HC-169, ΔE 8.2) is lighter (LRV 48.2 vs 40.5), more yellow/warm, more green, more muted.
- Dorian Gray (Sherwin-Williams SW 7017, ΔE 9.4) is darker (LRV 38.7 vs 40.5), more yellow/warm.
- Functional Gray (Sherwin-Williams SW 7024, ΔE 9.7) is darker (LRV 37.0 vs 40.5), more yellow/warm.