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.