Cobalt
Cobalt · #234F89 · LRV 8 — cool blue tone, very dark — reads black in most rooms.
- 1Anchors Aweigh3
- 2Cobalt8
- 3Waterloo13
- 4Charcoal Blue19
What Color Is Cobalt, Really?
Cobalt reads as a cool blue tone — very dark — reads black in most rooms. The notes below cover how Portola Paints Cobalt behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Cobalt
Cobalt earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Blues calm a room, which makes them popular in bedrooms, bathrooms and home offices.
How Lighting Changes Cobalt
At LRV 8, Cobalt is about as dark as paint gets — it reads near-black on a wall and reveals its character only in direct daylight or under warm bulbs. 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. In rooms with little natural light it can feel heavy, so reserve it for spaces you want to feel enveloping.
Most complaints about Cobalt 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 Portola Paints Cobalt 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 | Frank BlueSW 6967 · Sherwin-Williams | 1.4 | 8 | Color page → |
| Behr | Flashy SapphireP520-7 · Behr | 1.4 | 9 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | DelphiniumCC-872 · Benjamin Moore | 2.9 | 10 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Strong Will8001-44G · Valspar | 0.6 | 8 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Brilliant BluePPG1161-7 · PPG / Glidden | 0.4 | 8 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Brilliant BluePPG1161-7 · Glidden | 0.5 | 8 | Color page → |
Similar Portola Paints Colors
The nearest shades to Cobalt within Portola Paints'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 #234F89 in HSL space. Pair Cobalt with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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