PROFESSIONAL-GRADE PAINT
ONE COAT COVERAGE
MADE FOR REAL RESULTS
CompositePaint
SHERWIN-WILLIAMS · SW 6242

Sherwin-Williams Bracing Blue#768B9A · LRV 25

Bracing Blue reads as a blue / cool — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover the spec, what Sherwin-Williams SW 6242 actually looks like under different light, and the closest matches at competing US brands.

SEE IN A ROOM → CALCULATE PAINT NEEDED →
SHERWIN-WILLIAMS BRACING BLUE
RGB 118, 139, 154 LRV 25

Color spec

Brand Sherwin-Williams
Name Bracing Blue
SKU SW 6242
Hex #768B9A
RGB 118, 139, 154
HSL 205°, 15%, 53%
LRV 25
Undertone blue / cool
Family Gray

About Sherwin-Williams Bracing Blue

Bracing Blue sits in the mid-range at LRV 25, 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.

Bracing Blue is versatile enough for full rooms but has enough depth to anchor a space, so it suits living rooms, bedrooms and cabinetry alike. Grays like this read as a modern neutral and sit comfortably alongside both warm woods and cool metals.

Kompozit alternative

The closest hex in the Kompozit deck, ranked by ΔE2000 (perceptual color difference). ΔE under 2 is indistinguishable to most eyes; under 5 is a very close visual match.

KOMPOZIT
Smoky Day
SKU 0491 · #7D8F92 · LRV 26
ΔE 5.83 (different)
SHOP KOMPOZIT ON AMAZON →

Closest matches at every US brand

9 brands · top 5 each

5 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 gray from that brand.

Valspar

2,858 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.43
All gray at Valspar →
V137-5
#7B8C99
Steele Blue
ΔE 1.43 · LRV 25.3
T681
#7F8B97
Wet Seal
ΔE 3.14 · LRV 25.3
8004-38E
#7A8F97
Cottage Door
ΔE 3.66 · LRV 26
V138-4
#7A8F97
Cottage Door
ΔE 3.66 · LRV 25.9
T613
#708E9A
Cat's Pajamas
ΔE 3.87 · LRV 25.1

Behr

4,699 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.71
All gray at Behr →
N530-5
#748894
Mission Control
ΔE 1.71 · LRV 23
MQ5-20
#7D8C96
Cold Steel
ΔE 2.51 · LRV 25
760F-5
#728C98
Milestone
ΔE 2.72 · LRV 25
QE-54
#718B97
Shaker Blue
ΔE 2.74 · LRV 24
PPU15-09
#758AA2
Hilo Bay
ΔE 4.06 · LRV 25

Dunn-Edwards

1,696 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.73
All gray at Dunn-Edwards →
DE5802
#718B9A
China Clay
ΔE 1.73 · LRV 24
DE5816
#65869B
Seal Pup
ΔE 4.07 · LRV 22
DE5872
#6C849B
Lakeville
ΔE 4.12 · LRV 22
DE5795
#6A8B98
Spirit Mountain
ΔE 4.42 · LRV 24
DE5935
#838298
Soft Charcoal
ΔE 11.71 · LRV 23

Benjamin Moore

3,934 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.17
All gray at Benjamin Moore →
CSP-620
#798E99
Wild Blue Yonder
ΔE 2.17 · LRV 27
1671
#6B8895
West Coast
ΔE 3.61 · LRV 24
CC-750
#6B8895
West Coast
ΔE 3.61 · LRV
1644
#6E8791
Blue Dusk
ΔE 3.8 · LRV 24
1440
#84899A
Irises
ΔE 7.43 · LRV 26

PPG / Glidden

2,088 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.67
All gray at PPG / Glidden →
1153-5
#7B8F99
Chalky Blue
ΔE 2.67 · LRV 26
10-21
#808EA1
Acceleration
ΔE 4.31 · LRV 27
1042-5
#818B9C
Prophetic Sea
ΔE 5.07 · LRV 26
1149-5
#708E95
Baritone
ΔE 5.86 · LRV 25
10-03
#71898D
Twilight Stroll
ΔE 6.14 · LRV 23

Backdrop

30 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.85
All gray at Backdrop →
BD-PW
#7C8E97
Polly Wants
ΔE 2.85 · LRV 27
BD-MJ
#5A6E7E
Mom Jeans
ΔE 11.33 · LRV 18
BD-HF
#7C8478
Hartford
ΔE 14.04 · LRV 22
BD-AN
#A89886
Anita
ΔE 20.51 · LRV 33
BD-OS
#7E7C5C
Old Soul
ΔE 23.09 · LRV 18

Farrow & Ball

132 colors in deck · best ΔE 5.75
All gray at Farrow & Ball →
NO. 86
#7997A1
Stone Blue
ΔE 5.75 · LRV 29
NO. 237
#6A90B4
Cook's Blue
ΔE 7.13 · LRV 26
NO. 272
#8D8D8B
Plummett
ΔE 10.48 · LRV 27
NO. 276
#8B857F
Mole's Breath
ΔE 13.67 · LRV 24
NO. 271
#8D8089
Brassica
ΔE 16.55 · LRV 23

Magnolia Home

160 colors in deck · best ΔE 6.14
All gray at Magnolia Home →
JG-95
#858C90
Deep Rock
ΔE 6.14 · LRV 26
JG-139
#838685
Teak Cups
ΔE 9.03 · LRV 24
JG-138
#8D8E8B
Cozy Up
ΔE 10.67 · LRV 27
JG-07
#869088
Silverado Sage
ΔE 11.73 · LRV 27
JG-100
#8C848C
Pashmina Plum
ΔE 13.72 · LRV 24

Clare

78 colors in deck · best ΔE 7.94
All gray at Clare →
PNT100-MD-16
#7B8082
Irony
ΔE 7.94 · LRV 21
PNT100-MD-39
#7BA0AE
Blue Ivy
ΔE 7.96 · LRV 32
PNT100-MD-14
#91928C
Shade
ΔE 12.29 · LRV 28
PNT100-MD-75
#599896
Keep It Teal
ΔE 14.7 · LRV 27
PNT100-DP-52
#8C8479
Dirty Chai
ΔE 15.93 · LRV 23

Similar Sherwin-Williams colors

closest in the Sherwin-Williams deck

The nearest shades to Bracing Blue within Sherwin-Williams's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.

SW 9148
Smoky Azurite
LRV 25
SW 6515
Leisure Blue
LRV 25
SW 9058
Secret Cove
LRV 25
SW 6522
Sporty Blue
LRV 24
SW 6249
Storm Cloud
LRV 23
SW 7612
Mountain Stream
LRV 25

Coordinated palette

Generated by hue-rotating #768B9A in HSL space. Pair Bracing Blue with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#768B9A + #9A8576
TRIADIC
#768B9A · #9A768B · #8B9A76
ANALOGOUS
#769A97 · #768B9A · #76799A

Accessibility (WCAG contrast)

Sample text on white
3.54:1 AA Large
Sample text on black
5.93:1 AA

WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.

EXPLORE MORE