Balboa
MQ4-55 · #ABD0D9 · LRV 59 — cool blue-green tone, light — bounces daylight without going clinical.
- 1Van Courtland Blue31
- 2Wythe Blue48
- 3Balboa59
- 4Meander Blue66
- 5Waterfall71
What Color Is Balboa, Really?
Balboa reads as a cool blue-green tone — light — bounces daylight without going clinical. The notes below cover how Behr MQ4-55 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Balboa
Balboa is an easy whole-room color for living spaces and bedrooms, and light enough to carry onto trim or a ceiling if you want a soft, seamless look. Teals add character without shouting — good for a vanity, an island or a feature wall.
How Lighting Changes Balboa
At LRV 59, Balboa is a light color that bounces daylight around a room without tipping into stark white. Its teal undertone is the part to watch: it gets picked up by whatever sits next to it, so test it against your trim, floor and the room's main light before committing. It holds its undertone in most exposures, which is what makes light shades like this so forgiving room to room.
Most complaints about Balboa are a light mismatch. Upload a photo of your actual room and see it on your walls — then ask for the same wall in north light or evening lamps before you buy a single sample.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint Behr MQ4-55 directly. If you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches, measured as ΔE2000. Under 2 is a difference you will not see on the wall.
| Brand | Closest color | ΔE | LRV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherwin-Williams | CaySW 6772 · Sherwin-Williams | 2.2 | 58 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Spring Rain723 · Benjamin Moore | 2.5 | 60 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Soothing BlueV068-2 · Valspar | 0.8 | 60.2 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Midsummer's DreamPPG1151-3 · PPG / Glidden | 2.6 | 59 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Flemish BluePPG1238-3 · Glidden | 3.3 | 59 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Blue Rosette234-4DB · Dutch Boy | 1.3 | 60 | Color page → |
Similar Behr Colors
The nearest shades to Balboa within Behr's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
WCAG 2.1: AA is 4.5 : 1 for normal text, 3 : 1 for large text, AAA is 7 : 1.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #ABD0D9 in HSL space. Pair Balboa with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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