Denim Tradition
DE5885 · #7F97B5 · LRV 28 — cool blue tone, mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.
- 1Hale Navy8
- 2Waterloo13
- 3Denim Tradition28
- 4Resolute Blue40
- 5Lost in the 80s51
What Color Is Denim Tradition, Really?
Denim Tradition reads as a cool blue tone — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover how Dunn-Edwards DE5885 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Denim Tradition
Denim Tradition 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 Denim Tradition
Denim Tradition sits in the mid-range at LRV 28, 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 Denim Tradition 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 Dunn-Edwards DE5885 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 | Bluesy NoteSW 9064 · Sherwin-Williams | 2.8 | 31 | Color page → |
| Behr | MysteryMQ5-51 · Behr | 1.1 | 30 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Steel Blue823 · Benjamin Moore | 2.6 | 35 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Blue MarbleV110-5 · Valspar | 1.9 | 29.9 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Walden PondPPG1159-4 · PPG / Glidden | 4.8 | 31 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Gingham Blue10BB 30/203 · Glidden | 2.0 | 30 | Color page → |
Similar Dunn-Edwards Colors
The nearest shades to Denim Tradition within Dunn-Edwards'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 #7F97B5 in HSL space. Pair Denim Tradition with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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