Color spec
| Brand | Dutch Boy |
| Name | Making Waves |
| SKU | 138-7DB |
| Hex | #017CB2 |
| RGB | 1, 124, 178 |
| HSL | 198°, 99%, 35% |
| LRV | 17 |
| Undertone | cool blue-green tone |
| Family | Blue |
About Dutch Boy Making Waves
With an LRV of 17, Making Waves is a deep, dramatic shade. It soaks up light in north-facing rooms and looks richest where strong daylight hits it. Its teal 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.
Making Waves 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.
Closest matches by brand
10 brands within ΔE 5The closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Only colors within ΔE 5 (close enough to substitute on a wall) are shown — brands with no real match are left off. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all blue from that brand.
Sherwin-Williams
Behr
Benjamin Moore
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Hirshfield's
Kompozit
Similar Dutch Boy colors
closest in the Dutch Boy deckThe nearest shades to Making Waves within Dutch Boy'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 #017CB2 in HSL space. Pair Making Waves 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.
Dutch Boy Making Waves Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Making Waves from a different paint counter? Below is the single closest color in each major US deck and how close it really is. Remember that any paint store can also custom-tint Dutch Boy 138-7DB directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Making Waves
At Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Making Waves is Blue Plate (SW 6796) — very close at ΔE 3.15, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 17 vs 17) and carries a cool blue-green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Blue Plate swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Making Waves
Behr's nearest match is Glacier Lake (S-G-530), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.67). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 18 vs 17) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Making Waves without repainting risk. See the full Glacier Lake swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Making Waves
At Benjamin Moore, the closest color to Making Waves is Blue Macaw (784) — very close at ΔE 3.33, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 16 vs 17) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Blue Macaw swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Making Waves
At Valspar, the closest color to Making Waves is Cosmic Blue (4008-10C) — very close at ΔE 2.47, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 15.6 vs 17) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Cosmic Blue swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Making Waves
At PPG / Glidden, the closest color to Making Waves is Neptune (PPG1237-7) — very close at ΔE 2.43, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 18 vs 17) and carries a cool blue-green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Neptune swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Making Waves
At Glidden, the closest color to Making Waves is Neptune (PPG1237-7) — very close at ΔE 2.01, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 18 vs 17) and carries a cool blue-green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Neptune swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Making Waves
At HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Making Waves is Blue Azores (HGSW 1362) — very close at ΔE 3.15, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 17 vs 17) and carries a cool blue-green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Blue Azores swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Making Waves
At Dunn-Edwards, the closest color to Making Waves is Americana (DE5845) — very close at ΔE 2.64, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 16 vs 17) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Americana swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Making Waves
Hirshfield's has no exact twin of Making Waves. The nearest is Biloxi Blue (H0058) at ΔE 3.97 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly darker (LRV 15 vs 17). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Biloxi Blue swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Making Waves
Kompozit has no exact twin of Making Waves. The nearest is Skylla (0640) at ΔE 4.3 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 19 vs 17). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Skylla swatch →