Making Waves
138-7DB · #017CB2 · LRV 17 — cool blue-green tone, dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.
- 1Anchors Aweigh3
- 2Hale Navy8
- 3Making Waves17
- 4Williamsburg Wedgwood Blue28
- 5Resolute Blue40
What Color Is Making Waves, Really?
Making Waves reads as a cool blue-green tone — dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs. The notes below cover how Dutch Boy 138-7DB behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Making Waves
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.
How Lighting Changes 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.
Most complaints about Making Waves 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 Dutch Boy 138-7DB 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 | Blue PlateSW 6796 · Sherwin-Williams | 3.1 | 17 | Color page → |
| Behr | Deep RiverP500-6 · Behr | 1.5 | 17 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Blue Macaw784 · Benjamin Moore | 3.3 | 16 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Cosmic Blue4008-10C · Valspar | 2.5 | 15.6 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | NeptunePPG1237-7 · PPG / Glidden | 2.4 | 18 | Color page → |
| Glidden | NeptunePPG1237-7 · Glidden | 2.0 | 18 | Color page → |
Similar Dutch Boy Colors
The 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.
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 #017CB2 in HSL space. Pair Making Waves with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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