Brussels Blue
70BG 38/143 · #8CAABD · LRV 38 — cool blue tone, mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.
- 1Hale Navy8
- 2Waterloo13
- 3Brussels Blue38
- 4Honolulu Blue62
- 5After Rain68
What Color Is Brussels Blue, Really?
Brussels Blue reads as a cool blue tone — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover how Glidden 70BG 38/143 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Brussels Blue
Brussels Blue is versatile enough for full rooms but has enough depth to anchor a space, so it suits living rooms, bedrooms and cabinetry alike. Blues calm a room, which makes them popular in bedrooms, bathrooms and home offices.
How Lighting Changes Brussels Blue
Brussels Blue sits in the mid-range at LRV 38, so it shifts visibly through the day — lighter and more open in morning light, deeper and moodier after dark. 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. South-facing rooms will pull it lighter and warmer, while north light cools it down.
Most complaints about Brussels Blue 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 Glidden 70BG 38/143 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 | Notable HueSW 6521 · Sherwin-Williams | 1.2 | 37 | Color page → |
| Behr | WindsurfPPU14-09 · Behr | 1.4 | 38 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Porcelain VaseV109-4 · Valspar | 2.1 | 37.7 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | KaleidoscopePPG1160-4 · PPG / Glidden | 2.0 | 37 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Grayed Cobalt239-4DB · Dutch Boy | 3.1 | 38 | Color page → |
| HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams | Notable HueHGSW 2385 · HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams | 1.2 | 37 | Color page → |
Similar Glidden Colors
The nearest shades to Brussels Blue within Glidden'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 #8CAABD in HSL space. Pair Brussels Blue with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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