Color spec
| Brand | Dunn-Edwards |
| Name | Maiden Voyage |
| SKU | DEA178 |
| Hex | #3F546B |
| RGB | 63, 84, 107 |
| HSL | 211°, 26%, 33% |
| LRV | 8 |
| Undertone | cool blue tone |
| Family | Blue |
What Color Is Maiden Voyage, Really?
Maiden Voyage (DEA178) is a deep, muted navy from Dunn-Edwards. Its numbers tell the story: an LRV of 8 means it reflects very little light, so in most rooms it reads close to black, while a hue of 211 with 26 percent saturation keeps a clear blue lean rather than a gray or purple one. Put simply, it is a rich ink-blue that only shows its color when light hits it directly.
It earned its reputation as Dunn-Edwards' classic navy for front doors, where a dark, saturated blue gives a house a crisp, welcoming point of contrast against lighter siding and trim.
Maiden Voyage suits people who want depth and drama without going fully black. It fits traditional and coastal homes, modern exteriors, and interiors where you want one grounding, high-contrast surface such as a door, an island, or a single wall.
Maiden Voyage leans cool blue, and at 26 percent saturation that lean is real, not a whisper. This is not a near-neutral navy that could pass for charcoal. The blue is muted by its darkness, but in daylight or under a bright bulb it reads clearly as blue rather than gray or black.
The undertone shows most where light is strongest: near a window, in direct sun on an exterior door, or under crisp white LED bulbs. In dim corners or north light, the color collapses toward near-black and the blue nearly disappears. That shift is normal for a color with an LRV this low.
Test it against a true black and against a warmer navy at the same time. Next to black, Maiden Voyage looks distinctly blue. Next to a warmer or grayer navy, it looks cooler and cleaner. Always judge a sample on the actual surface, in the actual light, before deciding.
Best Rooms and Uses for Maiden Voyage
An LRV of 8 makes Maiden Voyage a statement and contrast color, not a whole-room light. Coat every wall of a small or dim room and it will feel like a cave; the color simply does not return enough light to keep a space open.
Its strongest job is exactly what Dunn-Edwards specs it for: a front door. Against light siding and white trim it gives a clean, high-contrast focal point that holds up in full sun. The same logic works on shutters, an exterior body on a house with generous trim, and window sashes.
Inside, use it where you want one grounded, dramatic surface. It excels on kitchen island bases and lower cabinets, a single accent or fireplace wall, a built-in bookcase back, or a powder room where drama is welcome and you do not need brightness. On broad wall runs, reserve it for larger rooms with strong natural light and plenty of white to balance the darkness.
How Lighting Changes Maiden Voyage
With an LRV of 8, Maiden Voyage bounces back very little light, so lighting decides whether you see a navy or a near-black. There is not much brightness to work with, which makes exposure and bulb choice unusually important.
In north-facing rooms, the cool light deepens the color and pushes it toward black; the blue only survives close to the window. East light reads blue in the morning and flat and dark by afternoon. West light does the reverse, warming slightly in evening sun. South-facing rooms and exteriors give the most consistent blue read because they get steady, strong light through the day.
Bulbs matter too. Cool or daylight LEDs (4000K and up) keep the blue crisp and true. Warm bulbs around 2700K mute the blue and can make the color look almost brown-black. If you want the navy to stay visible indoors, pair it with cooler bulbs and put it where light actually lands.
Most complaints about Maiden Voyage 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.
TEST IT IN YOUR LIGHT →Maiden Voyage vs Similar Colors
Dunn-Edwards has several navies in this exact depth, and the differences are subtle but visible on a wall. Summer Night (DE5811, LRV 8) sits at the same lightness but leans slightly more teal, so it reads a touch greener and less classically navy than Maiden Voyage. Choose Summer Night if you want a hint of the sea; choose Maiden Voyage for a cleaner, more traditional blue.
Blue Earth (DE5853, LRV 8) is also an 8-LRV navy but a shade warmer and more saturated, giving a fuller, richer blue. Maiden Voyage looks more restrained beside it.
Midnight Haze (DE5818, LRV 7) is a hair darker and grayer, drifting toward slate. If you want the color to read almost black and hide the blue, Midnight Haze does that; if you want the blue to stay recognizable, Maiden Voyage keeps more of it. All three are close enough that you should sample them side by side.
Colors That Go With Maiden Voyage
Because Maiden Voyage is so dark, it wants light, clean partners to breathe. For trim and adjacent walls, Whisper (DEW340, LRV 84) is a bright near-white that maximizes contrast and keeps the navy crisp. If you prefer a softer, warmer frame, Swiss Coffee (DEW342, LRV 84) reads creamy against the cool blue and suits traditional and coastal rooms.
For a second wall color or a mid-tone bridge, Cool December (DEC754, LRV 60) is a quiet green-gray that steps down from white without competing. Pelican Bay (DEC787, LRV 41) is a soft blue-gray that ties directly into the navy's cool family and works well on a ceiling or cabinet body nearby.
For an accent, Battleship Gray (DET636, LRV 22) gives a darker neutral companion for hardware zones or a second cabinet color. Warm wood tones and brushed brass or matte black metals both look right against this depth of blue.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint Dunn-Edwards DEA178 directly — but if you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches:
Similar Dunn-Edwards colors
closest in the Dunn-Edwards deckThe nearest shades to Maiden Voyage within Dunn-Edwards'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 #3F546B in HSL space. Pair Maiden Voyage 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.
The Questions Everyone Asks
Is Maiden Voyage warm or cool?
Maiden Voyage is a cool color. Its hue sits at 211 degrees, firmly in the blue range, and there is no warm red or yellow pulling it toward navy-brown. In practice it reads as a clean, cool navy, coolest under daylight bulbs and north light and slightly less so under warm 2700K bulbs.
Is Maiden Voyage more blue or more black?
Both, depending on light. With a low LRV of 8 it reflects little light, so in dim rooms or under warm bulbs it reads close to black. But at 26 percent saturation the blue is genuinely there and shows clearly in direct sun or under cool light. Think of it as a navy that hides its color in the dark and reveals it in the light.
What trim white goes with Maiden Voyage?
Whisper (DEW340) at an LRV of 84 is a strong choice for trim. It is a bright near-white that gives maximum contrast and keeps the navy crisp and defined. If you want a warmer, softer frame, Swiss Coffee (DEW342), also LRV 84, reads creamier against the cool blue and suits traditional or coastal rooms.
Does Maiden Voyage work on a front door or cabinets?
Yes. Dunn-Edwards specs it as a classic front-door navy, and its depth reads beautifully in full sun against light siding and white trim. It also works well on kitchen island bases, lower cabinets, and built-ins, where you want one dramatic, grounded surface rather than an all-over light color.
What does an LRV of 8 mean for Maiden Voyage?
LRV measures how much light a color reflects, from 0 (black) to 100 (white). At 8, Maiden Voyage reflects very little light, so it reads as a near-black navy and can make a small or dim room feel closed in. Use it as a statement or contrast color, paired with plenty of white and good natural light, rather than on every wall of a dark space.
How is Maiden Voyage different from Indigo Batik?
Both are deep navies at an LRV of 8, so they are close in depth. Sherwin-Williams Indigo Batik (SW 7602) tends to read a touch grayer and more subdued, while Maiden Voyage holds a slightly cleaner blue. The difference is subtle, so if you are deciding between them, sample both on the wall in your own light before committing.
Will It Work in YOUR Room?
No page can promise how Maiden Voyage behaves in your light. Upload a photo and see it on your own walls in seconds — before you spend a cent on samples.
TRY MAIDEN VOYAGE ON YOUR ROOM →Ask a Question
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