Searching Blue
SW 6536 · #6C7F9A · LRV 21 — cool blue tone, dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.
- 1Hale Navy8
- 2Waterloo13
- 3Searching Blue21
- 4Resolute Blue40
- 5Lost in the 80s51
What Color Is Searching Blue, Really?
Searching Blue reads as a cool blue tone — dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs. The notes below cover how Sherwin-Williams SW 6536 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Searching Blue
Searching Blue 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.
How Lighting Changes Searching Blue
With an LRV of 21, Searching Blue 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.
Most complaints about Searching 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 Sherwin-Williams SW 6536 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Behr | Lead CastMQ5-52 · Behr | 0.7 | 21 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | In the Twilight1434 · Benjamin Moore | 3.7 | 22 | Color page → |
| Valspar | MermanT601 · Valspar | 2.4 | 20.6 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Silver BlueberryPPG1163-5 · PPG / Glidden | 2.8 | 21 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Silver BlueberryPPG1163-5 · Glidden | 2.3 | 21 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Lustrous Blue339-5DB · Dutch Boy | 0.0 | 21 | Color page → |
Similar Sherwin-Williams Colors
The nearest shades to Searching 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.
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 #6C7F9A in HSL space. Pair Searching Blue with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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