Color spec
| Brand | Dutch Boy |
| Name | Making Waves |
| SKU | 138-7DB |
| Hex | #017CB2 |
| RGB | 1, 124, 178 |
| HSL | 198°, 99%, 35% |
| LRV | 17 |
| Undertone | blue-green / cool |
| 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 at every US brand
13 brands · top 5 each5 closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all blue from that brand.
Behr
PPG / Glidden
Valspar
Dunn-Edwards
Sherwin-Williams
Benjamin Moore
Kompozit
Diamond Vogel
Clare
C2 Paint
Farrow & Ball
Magnolia Home
Backdrop
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.
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
Clare Equivalent of Making Waves
Clare doesn't make a true equivalent of Making Waves — the nearest deck color, Hyperlink (PNT100-MD-41), is clearly different (ΔE 5.82). For an exact match, any Clare retailer can custom-tint Dutch Boy 138-7DB instead. See the full Hyperlink swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Making Waves
Diamond Vogel doesn't make a true equivalent of Making Waves — the nearest deck color, Skylla (0640), is clearly different (ΔE 6.16). For an exact match, any Diamond Vogel retailer can custom-tint Dutch Boy 138-7DB instead. See the full Skylla swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Making Waves
C2 Paint doesn't make a true equivalent of Making Waves — the nearest deck color, Blue Moon (C2-764), is clearly different (ΔE 7.83). For an exact match, any C2 Paint retailer can custom-tint Dutch Boy 138-7DB instead. See the full Blue Moon swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Making Waves
Magnolia Home doesn't make a true equivalent of Making Waves — the nearest deck color, Blue Skies (JG-85), is clearly different (ΔE 11.69). For an exact match, any Magnolia Home retailer can custom-tint Dutch Boy 138-7DB instead. See the full Blue Skies swatch →
Backdrop Equivalent of Making Waves
Backdrop doesn't make a true equivalent of Making Waves — the nearest deck color, Mom Jeans (BD-MJ), is clearly different (ΔE 12.45). For an exact match, any Backdrop retailer can custom-tint Dutch Boy 138-7DB instead. See the full Mom Jeans swatch →
Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Making Waves
Farrow & Ball doesn't make a true equivalent of Making Waves — the nearest deck color, Vardo (NO. 288), is clearly different (ΔE 15.92). For an exact match, any Farrow & Ball retailer can custom-tint Dutch Boy 138-7DB instead. See the full Vardo swatch →