Dusty Lilac (PPU16-09)
A soft, dusty lavender-gray. More purple than a neutral gray, more gray than a true purple. Sophisticated and calming.
About Behr Dusty Lilac
Dusty Lilac (PPU16-09) is a purple from Behr's collection with an LRV of 48 and soft dusty lavender undertones. A soft, dusty lavender-gray. More purple than a neutral gray, more gray than a true purple. Sophisticated and calming.
At an LRV of 48, Dusty Lilac is a medium-depth color with real presence on the wall. It will add noticeable color and warmth to a room, creating a more cocooning, intimate atmosphere than lighter colors. It works beautifully in rooms with good natural light, and can be used on accent walls in rooms where a full application might feel too enclosed. Pair it with a bright white trim color (LRV 85+) for clean contrast.
Light Reflectance Value (LRV)
Dusty Lilac has an LRV of 48, placing it in the medium range on the 0-to-100 scale. LRV measures the percentage of visible light a color reflects. A pure black has an LRV of 0 and a pure white has an LRV of 100. Understanding a color's LRV helps you predict how it will feel in your space: higher LRV means brighter and more spacious, lower LRV means cozier and more intimate.
Undertone Analysis
Dusty Lilac has soft dusty lavender undertones. Undertones are the subtle background colors that become visible in different lighting conditions. Even colors that look "neutral" in the store will reveal their undertones once they are on your walls and interacting with natural light, artificial light, and the colors around them.
A soft, dusty lavender-gray. More purple than a neutral gray, more gray than a true purple. Sophisticated and calming. Cool undertones like these pair naturally with other cool elements: gray-toned wood, chrome and silver hardware, white marble, and cool-toned textiles. They can feel disconnected from strongly warm elements like honey oak or brass, so consider your existing finishes before committing.
Lighting Behavior
The lavender is subtle. In cool light, the purple shows. In warm light, reads as a cool neutral gray. Grown-up and refined.
Every paint color looks different depending on the light source in your room. South-facing rooms get warm, direct sunlight that brings out yellow and warm undertones. North-facing rooms get cool, indirect light that emphasizes blue and gray undertones. East-facing rooms are bright and warm in the morning, cooler in the afternoon. West-facing rooms are the opposite: cool morning, warm afternoon. Incandescent and warm LED bulbs push colors warmer, while cool-white LEDs and fluorescent tubes push colors cooler. To avoid surprises, always test Dusty Lilac with a physical sample on your actual wall, and observe it at different times of day before committing.
Best Rooms for Dusty Lilac
Behr recommends Dusty Lilac for: bedroom, bathroom, nursery, hallway, living room.
Closest Matches in Other Brands
Find the closest equivalent to Behr Dusty Lilac from other paint brands. Matches are calculated using Delta E (CIE2000), the industry standard for measuring perceptual color difference.
Sherwin Williams Matches
Silver Peony is pinker. Dusty Lilac is more purple.
View all Sherwin Williams matches →Benjamin Moore Matches
Classic Gray is pinker and lighter. Different character.
View all Benjamin Moore matches →Coordinating Colors
These colors pair beautifully with Dusty Lilac for a cohesive palette. Use them for trim, accents, adjacent rooms, or furniture to create a well-designed space.
Frequently Asked Questions
The closest Sherwin Williams match for Behr Dusty Lilac is Silver Peony (SW 6547) with a Delta E of 4.8, which rates as a "good match" match. Silver Peony is pinker. Dusty Lilac is more purple. A Delta E under 2 means most people cannot tell the colors apart, while 2 to 4 means the difference is subtle.
Dusty Lilac has soft dusty lavender undertones. A soft, dusty lavender-gray. More purple than a neutral gray, more gray than a true purple. Sophisticated and calming. Undertones become most visible when the color is on a large surface like a wall, and they shift depending on the light source in your room. Always test with a physical sample in your specific space to see how the undertones interact with your lighting, flooring, and furnishings.
Dusty Lilac (PPU16-09) has a Light Reflectance Value (LRV) of 48, which puts it in the medium range. LRV measures the percentage of light a color reflects on a scale from 0 (pure black) to 100 (pure white). At 48, this is a medium-depth color that adds warmth and character while still reflecting a reasonable amount of light.
Dusty Lilac leans cool. The soft dusty lavender undertones give it a crisp, fresh quality. It pairs well with chrome, silver, cool-toned wood, and white marble. In south-facing rooms with warm light, the cool undertones help keep the color from feeling too warm.
Color data sourced from manufacturer specifications. Match calculations use Delta E (CIE2000) computed from Lab color space conversion. Last reviewed: March 22, 2026.