African Violet (BM 2116-50)
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African Violet (BM 2116-50) is a medium, neutral purple from Benjamin Moore: LRV 50.7, so it reflects about 51 percent of the light that hits it.
Colors that go with African Violet
Four Benjamin Moore colors picked for African Violet by this site's color math: a trim white, a deeper purple, a quiet contrast from another family, a dark accent. Benjamin Moore did not choose these pairings.
Closest match in every other brand
Each brand's closest color to African Violet, ranked by CIEDE2000 (deltaE): under 1.0 is indistinguishable, 1.0 to 2.3 very close, 2.3 to 5 noticeably different, over 5 clearly different.
| Brand | Closest color | Code | LRV | deltaE | How close |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherwin-Williams | Grape Mist | SW 6548 | 54 | 2.4 | noticeably different |
| Behr | Aster | PPU16-09 | 48.6 | 1.2 | very close |
| Valspar | Livid Violet | 4002-3C | 45 | 2.5 | noticeably different |
| PPG Paints | Ash Grove | 1172-4 | 46 | 1.9 | very close |
Lighter and darker in Benjamin Moore
The Benjamin Moore purple colors nearest to African Violet (LRV 50.7) by LRV.
Lighter than African Violet
Darker than African Violet
Color data
| Brand | Benjamin Moore |
|---|---|
| Color code | 2116-50 |
| Hex | #C1B9C4 |
| RGB | 193, 185, 196 |
| HSL | 284°, 9%, 75% |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 50.7 |
| Lab L*, a*, b* | 76.1, 4.8, -4.5 |
| Undertone | Cool |
| Temperature | neutral |
| Color family | Purple |
Same paint, two kinds of light
African Violet (BM 2116-50), published as #C1B9C4
#B0AFC2
#D3C3C4
These swatches and the rooms above are a simulation, not a measurement. How the visualizer works
Similar shades from Benjamin Moore
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Common questions
- What is the LRV of African Violet (BM 2116-50)?
- African Violet has an LRV of 50.7. LRV runs from 0 (black) to 100 (pure white) and measures the share of light a surface reflects, so African Violet is a medium color.
- What is the closest match to African Violet in another brand?
- Aster (Behr PPU16-09) from Behr, at a deltaE of 1.2 (very close).
- Is African Violet warm or cool?
- Benjamin Moore lists African Violet as neutral, with a Cool undertone. Its Lab b* value is -4.5; a higher b* is warmer and yellower, a lower one cooler and bluer.
Sources: LRV and hex as published by the manufacturer, via PaintDB (CC BY 4.0). Color differences are CIEDE2000 values computed by this site from the hex values (data snapshot 2026-10-01). Color names and codes belong to their manufacturers.