Color guide · Glidden · Blue

North Sea

PPG1239-6 · #1D78AB · LRV 17 · cool blue tone

PPG1239-6 · #1D78AB · LRV 17 — cool blue tone, dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.

North SeaGlidden · PPG1239-6
The color, edge to edge.Use your own photo →
North Sea
GLIDDEN · PPG1239-6 · #1D78AB
Brand · codeGliddenPPG1239-6 · all Glidden blues
LRV17Dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.
Undertonecool blue tone
FamilyBlue
Hex · RGB · HSL#1D78AB · 29, 120, 171 · 202°, 71%, 39%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. 3North Sea17
  4. 4Williamsburg Wedgwood Blue28
  5. 5Resolute Blue40
Undertone and depth

What Color Is North Sea, Really?

North Sea reads as a cool blue tone — dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs. The notes below cover how Glidden PPG1239-6 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.

Room by room

Best Rooms and Uses for North Sea

North 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 North Sea

With an LRV of 17, North 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 North 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.

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Same color, different store

Need It From Another Brand?

Any paint counter can custom-tint Glidden PPG1239-6 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 Glidden Colors

The nearest shades to North Sea within Glidden'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 North Sea · 4.3 : 1 · large text onlyWhite text on North Sea · 4.9 : 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 #1D78AB in HSL space. Pair North Sea with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#1D78AB + #AB501D
TRIADIC
#1D78AB · #AB1D78 · #78AB1D
ANALOGOUS
#1DAB97 · #1D78AB · #1D31AB

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Jessica Williams

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