Deepest Mauve vs Expressive Plum
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (11 vs 12), so they'll read as similarly Dark in most lighting conditions. Deepest Mauve runs warm while Expressive Plum is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. The ΔE 4.5 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Deepest Mauve vs Expressive Plum in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Deepest Mauve and Expressive Plum are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Deepest Mauve brings more warmth to the space, while Expressive Plum keeps things cooler and crisper.
Color Details
Deepest Mauve vs Expressive Plum Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Deepest Mauve on one side and Expressive Plum on the other.
Digital color is approximate. These simulations are generated from the manufacturer's hex values and overlaid on grayscale room photos — your screen's calibration, brightness, and viewing angle all affect how they render. Before committing to either color, test physical samples in your own space under the light you actually live with.
More Deepest Mauve comparisons
See how Deepest Mauve stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 11), opening up a space where Deepest Mauve encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 11, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
Deepest Mauve reads slightly lighter (LRV 11 vs 6), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 11, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 11, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 11), opening up a space where Deepest Mauve encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 11, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 11), opening up a space where Deepest Mauve encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 11), opening up a space where Deepest Mauve encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 11, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (11 vs 4) makes Deepest Mauve the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 11), opening up a space where Deepest Mauve encloses it.
With LRVs of 13 and 11, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 11), opening up a space where Deepest Mauve encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 11, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (21 vs 11) makes Artichoke the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 11), opening up a space where Deepest Mauve encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 11), opening up a space where Deepest Mauve encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 11), opening up a space where Deepest Mauve encloses it.
With LRVs of 12 and 11, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 11), opening up a space where Deepest Mauve encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 11, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 11, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 25 vs 11, Treron is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 12 and 11, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 11), opening up a space where Deepest Mauve encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 11, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (11 vs 7) makes Deepest Mauve the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 24 vs 11, Cement grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 11, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.