Stratford Blue
831 · #7685A1 · LRV 25 — cool blue tone, mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.
- 1Hale Navy8
- 2Waterloo13
- 3Stratford Blue25
- 4Resolute Blue40
- 5Lost in the 80s51
What Color Is Stratford Blue, Really?
Stratford Blue reads as a cool blue tone — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover how Benjamin Moore 831 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Stratford Blue
Stratford 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 Stratford Blue
Stratford Blue sits in the mid-range at LRV 25, so it shifts visibly through the day — lighter and more open in morning light, deeper and moodier after dark. 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. South-facing rooms will pull it lighter and warmer, while north light cools it down.
Most complaints about Stratford 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 831 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Behr | Formal AffairBNC-19 · Behr | 1.7 | 24 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Gray Lavender4005-4A · Valspar | 4.8 | 23 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Silver BlueberryPPG1163-5 · PPG / Glidden | 4.7 | 21 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Romance Blue10BB 25/193 · Glidden | 4.8 | 25 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Aster Eve242-4DB · Dutch Boy | 4.1 | 22 | Color page → |
| Dunn-Edwards | Enchanting SkyDE5900 · Dunn-Edwards | 2.8 | 23 | Color page → |
Similar Benjamin Moore Colors
The nearest shades to Stratford 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 #7685A1 in HSL space. Pair Stratford Blue with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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