Color spec
| Brand | Benjamin Moore |
| Name | Athens Blue |
| SKU | 797 |
| Hex | #3D74AC |
| RGB | 61, 116, 172 |
| HSL | 210°, 48%, 46% |
| LRV | 19 |
| Undertone | cool blue tone |
| 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.
Closest matches by brand
12 brands within ΔE 5The closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Only colors within ΔE 5 (close enough to substitute on a wall) are shown — brands with no real match are left off. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all blue from that brand.
Sherwin-Williams
Behr
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Farrow & Ball
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Kompozit
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.
Benjamin Moore Athens Blue Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Athens Blue from a different paint counter? Below is the single closest color in each major US deck and how close it really is. Remember that any paint store can also custom-tint Benjamin Moore 797 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Athens Blue
At Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Athens Blue is Sapphire (SW 6963) — very close at ΔE 2.61, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 18 vs 19) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Sapphire swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Athens Blue
Behr's nearest match is Sailors Bay (M510-5), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.09). It runs slightly darker (LRV 17 vs 19) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Athens Blue without repainting risk. See the full Sailors Bay swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Athens Blue
Valspar has no exact twin of Athens Blue. The nearest is Cosmic Blue (4008-10C) at ΔE 4.68 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly darker (LRV 15.6 vs 19). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Cosmic Blue swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Athens Blue
PPG / Glidden's nearest match is Nocturne Shade (PPG1244-6), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.54). It runs slightly darker (LRV 15 vs 19) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Athens Blue without repainting risk. See the full Nocturne Shade swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Athens Blue
Glidden's nearest match is Nocturne Shade (PPG1244-6), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.88). It runs slightly darker (LRV 15 vs 19) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Athens Blue without repainting risk. See the full Nocturne Shade swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Athens Blue
At Dutch Boy, the closest color to Athens Blue is Sapphire Waters (139-6DB) — very close at ΔE 2.27, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly darker (LRV 16 vs 19) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Sapphire Waters swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Athens Blue
At HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Athens Blue is Vital Blue (HGSW 1392) — very close at ΔE 3.03, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly darker (LRV 16 vs 19) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Vital Blue swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Athens Blue
At Dunn-Edwards, the closest color to Athens Blue is Pacific Blues (DET586) — very close at ΔE 2.77, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly darker (LRV 17 vs 19) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Pacific Blues swatch →
Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Athens Blue
Farrow & Ball has no exact twin of Athens Blue. The nearest is Pea Flower Tea (NO. CB12) at ΔE 4.61 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 20 vs 19). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Pea Flower Tea swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Athens Blue
Hirshfield's has no exact twin of Athens Blue. The nearest is Capri Isle (0605) at ΔE 4.29 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 19 vs 19). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Capri Isle swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Athens Blue
Kompozit has no exact twin of Athens Blue. The nearest is Capri Isle (0605) at ΔE 4.29 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly darker (LRV 17 vs 19). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Capri Isle swatch →