Benjamin Moore Athens Blue#3D74AC · LRV 19
Athens Blue reads as a blue / cool — dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs. The notes below cover the spec, what Benjamin Moore 797 actually looks like under different light, and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Color spec
| Brand | Benjamin Moore |
| Name | Athens Blue |
| SKU | 797 |
| Hex | #3D74AC |
| RGB | 61, 116, 172 |
| HSL | 210°, 48%, 46% |
| LRV | 19 |
| Undertone | blue / cool |
| Family | Blue |
About Benjamin Moore Athens Blue
With an LRV of 19, Athens Blue is a deep, dramatic shade. It soaks up light in north-facing rooms and looks richest where strong daylight hits it. 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. Warm artificial light softens it; cool LED can make it look flat, so match your bulbs to the mood you want.
Athens Blue works best as a feature — a single wall, built-ins, a study or dining room — rather than wrapping a whole bright space. Blues calm a room, which makes them popular in bedrooms, bathrooms and home offices.
Kompozit alternative
The closest hex in the Kompozit deck, ranked by ΔE2000 (perceptual color difference). ΔE under 2 is indistinguishable to most eyes; under 5 is a very close visual match.
Closest matches at every US brand
9 brands · top 5 each5 closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all blue from that brand.
Behr
PPG / Glidden
Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Valspar
Clare
Magnolia Home
Backdrop
Similar Benjamin Moore colors
closest in the Benjamin Moore deckThe nearest shades to Athens 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.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #3D74AC in HSL space. Pair Athens Blue with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
Accessibility (WCAG contrast)
WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.