Smokey Blue
540F-5 · #528590 · LRV 21 — cool blue-green tone, dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.
- 1Salamander6
- 2Hidden Gem14
- 3Smokey Blue21
- 4Van Courtland Blue31
- 5Wythe Blue48
What Color Is Smokey Blue, Really?
Smokey Blue reads as a cool blue-green tone — dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs. The notes below cover how Behr 540F-5 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Smokey Blue
Smokey Blue works best as a feature — a single wall, built-ins, a study or dining room — rather than wrapping a whole bright space. Teals add character without shouting — good for a vanity, an island or a feature wall.
How Lighting Changes Smokey Blue
With an LRV of 21, Smokey Blue is a deep, dramatic shade. It soaks up light in north-facing rooms and looks richest where strong daylight hits it. 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. Warm artificial light softens it; cool LED can make it look flat, so match your bulbs to the mood you want.
Most complaints about Smokey Blue 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 540F-5 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 | Stratford BlueSW 2864 · Sherwin-Williams | 2.6 | 22 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Baltic SeaCSP-680 · Benjamin Moore | 1.7 | 22 | Color page → |
| Valspar | RickrackV068-5 · Valspar | 3.0 | 20.7 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Batik Green90GG 21/219 · Glidden | 4.6 | 21 | Color page → |
| Diamond Vogel | Wish Upon a Star0668 · Diamond Vogel | 1.2 | 19 | Color page → |
| Hirshfield's | Wish Upon a Star0668 · Hirshfield's | 3.0 | 20 | Color page → |
Similar Behr Colors
The nearest shades to Smokey Blue 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 #528590 in HSL space. Pair Smokey Blue with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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