Soft Charcoal by Dunn-Edwards paint color
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Ref. #838298 · DE5935

Soft Charcoal

23%LRV Value
Cool (Violet)Undertone
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Soft Charcoal DE5935 is a gray paint color from Dunn-Edwards. It has a hex value of #838298, LRV 23 and a cool (violet) undertone. Its closest cross-brand match is Purple Haze from Benjamin Moore (nearly identical), with 49 more equivalents across other brands.

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Soft Charcoal Technical Profile

HEX Code#838298
RGB131, 130, 152
LRV23.1
UndertoneCool (Violet)
Color Familygray
BrandDunn-Edwards

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Soft Charcoal in Every Brand

The closest equivalent to Soft Charcoal in each major paint brand, ranked by how close the match reads. Always verify with a physical sample. How we calculate match accuracy →

Dunn-EdwardsSoft Charcoal
Nearly identical
Benjamin MoorePurple Haze

Purple Haze

Benjamin Moore

Nearly identical

Gothic Purple

Behr

Nearly identical

Rapture

Valspar

Nearly identical

Soft Greyed Heather

PPG

Very similar

Garden Beauty

Vista Paint

Very similar

Violet Vibes

Hirshfield's

Very similar

Magic Cape

Dutch Boy

Very similar

Gentle Grape

Sherwin-Williams

Very similar

Magical Twilight

Kilz

Very similar

Brassica

Farrow & Ball

Visible difference

Wool .04

Colorhouse

Visible difference

Telegrey 2

RAL

Visible difference

Comparing these brands? Order peel-and-stick samples of your top matches — Samplize buy 8 peel-and-stick samples, get 2 free.

Recommended Pairings

Colors That Work With Soft Charcoal

Timeless pairing with clean white trim and a tonal accent wall

Living room with applied paint colors

Side Walls

Soft Charcoal

#838298

Accent Wall

Tonal Shift

A warm shift that adds depth without clashing.

#9B85AD

Trim & Molding

Pure White

Crisp white trim for a clean, traditional look.

#FFFFFF

Customize in Room VisualizerExplore full palette →

Color Palettes for Soft Charcoal

Color harmonies based on color theory — each swatch links to the closest matching paint.

Opposite on the color wheel — creates vibrant contrast

Base

Soft Charcoal

Complement

Shaded Fern

Soft Charcoal Room Palettes

Color schemes built around this color — each swatch links to the closest matching paint.

Walls

December Sky

Trim

Boysenberry Shadow

Accent

This Color

Pop

Royal Pretender

Warm & Inviting

Warm tones with cozy appeal — welcoming and comfortable

Walls

December Sky

Trim

Cool December

Accent

This Color

Pop

Happy Trails

Cool & Calm

Cool hues with soft contrast — serene and restful

Walls

Silver Setting

Trim

Cool December

Accent

This Color

Pop

Fluorescent Lime

Bold Contrast

Complementary hues with punch — dynamic and striking

Similar Dunn-Edwards Colors

Other Dunn-Edwards colors close to Soft Charcoal.

Grape Jam

Dunn-Edwards · DE5949

#7F779A

Your Shadow

Dunn-Edwards · DE5921

#787E93

Pale Eggplant

Dunn-Edwards · DE5956

#8A779A

Bossa Nova Blue

Dunn-Edwards · DE5914

#767C9E

Weathered Gray

Dunn-Edwards · DEGR74

#878C8C

Smashed Grape

Dunn-Edwards · DE5963

#8775A1

More gray colors from other brands

Cross-brand colors in the gray family — useful when you want a similar look from a different brand.

Aged Mercury

Dutch Boy · 442-5DB

#867A6F

Marron

Valspar · 1004-9B

#7F6C67

Improbable

PPG · 1011-5

#6E7376

White Rapids

Dutch Boy · 425-1DB

#CDD2CA

Whirlwind

PPG · 1013-3

#BEC0C2

Dynasty Celadon

Behr · PPL-80

#C7CBBE

Soft Charcoal — Frequently Asked Questions

What undertone does Soft Charcoal have?
Soft Charcoal by Dunn-Edwards has a cool (violet) undertone and sits in the gray color family. The undertone shifts with light — warmer under 2700K bulbs, cleaner and cooler under 4000K daylight — so sample Soft Charcoal in your own space before committing.
What colors match Soft Charcoal from other brands?
The closest cross-brand equivalents to Soft Charcoal are Purple Haze by Benjamin Moore (a near-identical match), Gothic Purple by Behr (a near-identical match), Rapture by Valspar (a near-identical match) — the best options for getting Soft Charcoal's look from a brand your local store carries. Confirm with a physical sample, since sheen and lighting shift the final result.
What is the LRV of Soft Charcoal?
Soft Charcoal has a Light Reflectance Value (LRV) of 23.1, on a scale where 0 is pure black and 100 is pure white — that makes it a deep, dramatic color best saved for accent walls, dining rooms, and cozy spaces where atmosphere matters more than reflected light.

Explore More with Soft Charcoal

See It on a Wall

Preview this color in a real room

How Much Paint?

Calculate gallons for your project

Browse gray Colors

Explore more shades in this family

Related Reading

How to Match Paint Colors Across Brands

The science behind Delta E and CIEDE2000 — find a Behr equivalent of any Sherwin-Williams shade, or a Benjamin Moore alternative when your store is out of stock.

Understanding Paint Color Undertones

Why Soft Charcoal's cool (violet) undertone matters more than its surface color — and how to read undertones in any paint chip.

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