Athenian Blue
773 · #83B8D0 · LRV 45 — cool blue-green tone, mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.
- 1Smoky Blue15
- 2Wolf Gray21
- 3Athenian Blue45
- 4Honolulu Blue62
- 5After Rain68
What Color Is Athenian Blue, Really?
Athenian Blue reads as a cool blue-green tone — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover how Benjamin Moore 773 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Athenian Blue
Athenian Blue is versatile enough for full rooms but has enough depth to anchor a space, so it suits living rooms, bedrooms and cabinetry alike. Blues calm a room, which makes them popular in bedrooms, bathrooms and home offices.
How Lighting Changes Athenian Blue
Athenian Blue sits in the mid-range at LRV 45, so it shifts visibly through the day — lighter and more open in morning light, deeper and moodier after dark. 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. South-facing rooms will pull it lighter and warmer, while north light cools it down.
Most complaints about Athenian 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 Benjamin Moore 773 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 | Regale BlueSW 6801 · Sherwin-Williams | 2.1 | 42 | Color page → |
| Behr | Simply PoshMQ5-55 · Behr | 3.1 | 43 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Blue Bird MorningP068 · Valspar | 2.2 | 44.1 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Harbor SkyPPG1238-4 · PPG / Glidden | 0.8 | 42 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Harbor SkyPPG1238-4 · Glidden | 0.9 | 42 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Skippered Blue235-5DB · Dutch Boy | 1.8 | 43 | Color page → |
Similar Benjamin Moore Colors
The nearest shades to Athenian Blue within Benjamin Moore'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 #83B8D0 in HSL space. Pair Athenian Blue with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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