Prelude
740E-3 · #A8CDCC · LRV 56 — cool blue-green tone, light — bounces daylight without going clinical.
- 1Van Courtland Blue31
- 2Wythe Blue48
- 3Prelude56
- 4Meander Blue66
- 5Waterfall71
What Color Is Prelude, Really?
Prelude reads as a cool blue-green tone — light — bounces daylight without going clinical. The notes below cover how Behr 740E-3 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Prelude
Prelude 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 Prelude
At LRV 56, Prelude 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 Prelude 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 740E-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 | StreamSW 6499 · Sherwin-Williams | 4.5 | 57 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Thunderbird675 · Benjamin Moore | 0.7 | 55 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Wave Runner8002-35C · Valspar | 3.2 | 57 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | CassiopeiaPPG1141-3 · PPG / Glidden | 2.7 | 58 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Evening Aqua Sky90GG 56/122 · Glidden | 1.6 | 56 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Lake Getaway334-3DB · Dutch Boy | 3.4 | 55 | Color page → |
Similar Behr Colors
The nearest shades to Prelude 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 #A8CDCC in HSL space. Pair Prelude with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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