Color guide · Dunn-Edwards · Blue

Turbulent Sea

DE5803 · #536A79 · LRV 13 · cool blue tone

DE5803 · #536A79 · LRV 13 — cool blue tone, dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.

Turbulent SeaDunn-Edwards · DE5803
The color, edge to edge.Use your own photo →
Turbulent Sea
DUNN-EDWARDS · DE5803 · #536A79
Brand · codeDunn-EdwardsDE5803 · all Dunn-Edwards blues
LRV13Dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.
Undertonecool blue tone
FamilyBlue
Hex · RGB · HSL#536A79 · 83, 106, 121 · 204°, 19%, 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. 3Turbulent Sea13
  4. 4Charcoal Blue19
  5. 5Resolute Blue40
Undertone and depth

What Color Is Turbulent Sea, Really?

Turbulent Sea reads as a cool blue tone — dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs. The notes below cover how Dunn-Edwards DE5803 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.

Room by room

Best Rooms and Uses for Turbulent Sea

Turbulent Sea 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 Turbulent Sea

With an LRV of 13, Turbulent Sea 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 Turbulent Sea 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.

Upload a photoPainted in about a minuteFree, no account
Visualize in your room
Same color, different store

Need It From Another Brand?

Any paint counter can custom-tint Dunn-Edwards DE5803 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 Turbulent Sea 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 Turbulent Sea · 3.7 : 1 · large text onlyWhite text on Turbulent Sea · 5.7 : 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 #536A79 in HSL space. Pair Turbulent Sea with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#536A79 + #796253
TRIADIC
#536A79 · #79536A · #6A7953
ANALOGOUS
#537975 · #536A79 · #535779

Have you painted with Turbulent Sea?

Rate it — one tap helps the next reader decide.

Ask a Question

Jessica Williams

Not sure about Turbulent Sea in your room?

Ask Jessica below — every question gets a real reply, usually within a day.

Keep exploring