Color guide · Dunn-Edwards · Blue

Rainy Lake

DE5852 · #3F6C8F · LRV 13 · cool blue tone

DE5852 · #3F6C8F · LRV 13 — cool blue tone, dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.

Rainy LakeDunn-Edwards · DE5852
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Rainy Lake
DUNN-EDWARDS · DE5852 · #3F6C8F
Brand · codeDunn-EdwardsDE5852 · all Dunn-Edwards blues
LRV13Dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.
Undertonecool blue tone
FamilyBlue
Hex · RGB · HSL#3F6C8F · 63, 108, 143 · 206°, 39%, 40%Display values from the brand. Match it at another brand
Sheen we recommendEggshell on walls · satin on trim and cabinetsWhich sheen where, explained
Where it sits, light to dark
  1. 1Anchors Aweigh3
  2. 2Hale Navy8
  3. 3Rainy Lake13
  4. 4Charcoal Blue19
  5. 5Resolute Blue40
Undertone and depth

What Color Is Rainy Lake, Really?

Rainy Lake reads as a cool blue tone — dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs. The notes below cover how Dunn-Edwards DE5852 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.

Room by room

Best Rooms and Uses for Rainy Lake

Rainy Lake 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.

Light by light

How Lighting Changes Rainy Lake

With an LRV of 13, Rainy Lake 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.

Test it in your light, not a showroom's

Most complaints about Rainy Lake 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.

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Visualize in your room
Same color, different store

Need It From Another Brand?

Any paint counter can custom-tint Dunn-Edwards DE5852 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.

Same deck, next chip over

Similar Dunn-Edwards Colors

The nearest shades to Rainy Lake within Dunn-Edwards's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.

Contrast, for text and signage
Black text on Rainy Lake · 3.8 : 1 · large text onlyWhite text on Rainy Lake · 5.6 : 1 · passes AA

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 #3F6C8F in HSL space. Pair Rainy Lake with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#3F6C8F + #8F623F
TRIADIC
#3F6C8F · #8F3F6C · #6C8F3F
ANALOGOUS
#3F8F8A · #3F6C8F · #3F448F

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Jessica Williams

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