Canterbury Bells
P540-3 · #B9C3E6 · LRV 55 — cool blue tone, light — bounces daylight without going clinical.
- 1Williamsburg Wedgwood Blue28
- 2Resolute Blue40
- 3Canterbury Bells55
- 4Honolulu Blue62
- 5After Rain68
What Color Is Canterbury Bells, Really?
Canterbury Bells reads as a cool blue tone — light — bounces daylight without going clinical. The notes below cover how Behr P540-3 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Canterbury Bells
Canterbury Bells 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. Blues calm a room, which makes them popular in bedrooms, bathrooms and home offices.
How Lighting Changes Canterbury Bells
At LRV 55, Canterbury Bells is a light color that bounces daylight around a room without tipping into stark white. Its blue 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 Canterbury Bells 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 P540-3 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 | AgapanthusSW 9066 · Sherwin-Williams | 3.3 | 56 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Feather Soft1431 · Benjamin Moore | 3.9 | 57 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Organza8001-46C · Valspar | 1.1 | 54 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Spring Bluebell48BB 56/162 · Glidden | 1.4 | 56 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | My Serendipity240-2DB · Dutch Boy | 3.6 | 55 | Color page → |
| HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams | BedazzledHGSW 1405 · HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams | 3.3 | 56 | Color page → |
Similar Behr Colors
The nearest shades to Canterbury Bells 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 #B9C3E6 in HSL space. Pair Canterbury Bells with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
Have you painted with Canterbury Bells?
Rate it — one tap helps the next reader decide.
Ask a Question