Farrow & Ball

Imperial Purple

No. W40

Imperial Purple is a dark, muted purple with cool gray undertones that prevent it from reading as overtly violet. With an LRV of 32.5, it absorbs a good deal of light and works best in dining rooms, studies, or accent walls where a grounded wall color is the goal. The gray base softens the purple enough to sit alongside neutral schemes.

It pairs well with Shaded White and Slipper Satin for trim, while Hague Blue and Off-Black can deepen adjacent surfaces. Calluna offers a lighter purple for tonal layering.

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Brand

Farrow & Ball

Code

No. W40

Imperial Purple in Different Light

Light temperature is measured in Kelvin: a warm 2700K bulb pulls colors toward yellow, while 5000K daylight reads cooler and truer. Check the color at the time of day you actually use the room.

Artificial Lighting

Bedroom scene to simulate Farrow & Ball Imperial Purple under artificial light

Light Temperature: 2700K

Natural Lighting

Living room scene to simulate Farrow & Ball Imperial Purple under natural light

Light Temperature: 4500K

Technical Specifications

Undertones

Type

Blue

Strength

Low

Temperature

cool

Hue Angle

240°

Blue Family

Lightness

37%

Dark

Saturation

13%

Very Muted

LRV

32.5

0%100%

Very Dark

Dark

Medium

Light

Very Light

White

LRV measures how much light a color reflects, from 0 (black) to 100 (pure white). Below about 50 a color needs good lighting to avoid going flat, 60 and up helps brighten a room, and most whites sit above 80.

Color Position

Saturation →

Lightness →

Color Codes

HEX

#51516A

RGB Decimal

81, 81, 106

RGB Percent

31.8%, 31.8%, 41.6%

HSL

240.0, 13.4%, 36.7%

HSV

240.0, 23.6%, 41.6%

CMYK

23.6%, 23.6%, 0.0%, 58.4%

YIQ

83.8, -8.1, 7.8

XYZ

8.94, 8.67, 14.84

CIE Lab

35.35, 6.03, -14.39

CIE Luv

35.35, -1.43, -19.78

Hunter Lab

29.45, 4.33, -11.77

Decimal

5329258

Coordinating Colors and Color Palettes

Darker Shades

Monochromatic dark

Imperial Purple Ebony Slate Black Jack Twilight Zone

Lighter Shades

Monochromatic light

Imperial Purple Kimono Violet Cotton Flannel Central Mauve

Complementary

Opposite on color wheel

Imperial Purple Gratefully Grass Iron Ore Parrot Green

Analogous

Adjacent colors

Imperial Purple Plummy Dark and Stormy Night Showstopper

Closest Paint Matches

Cross-brand matches are close, never exact. Each brand uses different bases and sheens, so sample before you buy gallons.

Farrow & Ball

Imperial Purple

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Bossa Nova

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Glidden

Magic Spell

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Benjamin Moore

Dark Lilac

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Illusionist

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Elegant Navy

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Vintage Velvet

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Sherwin Williams

Mineral Gray

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Evening Dove

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Knighthood

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Dark Night

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Ball Gown