Color spec
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams |
| Name | Timid Blue |
| SKU | SW 6490 |
| Hex | #DFE8E4 |
| RGB | 223, 232, 228 |
| HSL | 153°, 16%, 89% |
| LRV | 79 |
| Undertone | cool green tone |
| Family | Gray |
About Sherwin-Williams Timid Blue
Timid Blue is very light — LRV 79, close to white. It opens up small or dim rooms and keeps walls feeling airy. Its green 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 north light it can read slightly cooler; a warm white trim alongside keeps it from going clinical.
Timid Blue shines on ceilings, trim and in small or low-light rooms where you need to stretch the light — and as a calm whole-home backdrop. Grays like this read as a modern neutral and sit comfortably alongside both warm woods and cool metals.
Closest matches by brand
16 brands within ΔE 5The closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Only colors within ΔE 5 (close enough to substitute on a wall) are shown — brands with no real match are left off. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all gray from that brand.
Behr
Benjamin Moore
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Magnolia Home
Farrow & Ball
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Rodda
C2 Paint
Clare
Kompozit
Similar Sherwin-Williams colors
closest in the Sherwin-Williams deckThe nearest shades to Timid 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.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #DFE8E4 in HSL space. Pair Timid Blue with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
Accessibility (WCAG contrast)
WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.
Sherwin-Williams Timid Blue Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Timid Blue from a different paint counter? Below is the single closest color in each major US deck and how close it really is. Remember that any paint store can also custom-tint Sherwin-Williams SW 6490 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Behr Equivalent of Timid Blue
The closest Behr equivalent of Timid Blue is Fresh Day (PPU13-17). At ΔE 0.99 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same cool blue-green undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 79 vs 79). If Behr is your counter, order Fresh Day and you'll get the same color. See the full Fresh Day swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Timid Blue
Benjamin Moore's nearest match is Come Sail Away (846), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.98). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 80 vs 79) and carries a cool green undertone, so it substitutes for Timid Blue without repainting risk. See the full Come Sail Away swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Timid Blue
Valspar's nearest match is Alpine Peak (V099-1), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.43). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 78.3 vs 79) and carries a cool green undertone, so it substitutes for Timid Blue without repainting risk. See the full Alpine Peak swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Timid Blue
The closest PPG / Glidden equivalent of Timid Blue is Sea Pearl (PPG1136-1). At ΔE 0.42 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same cool green undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 79 vs 79). If PPG / Glidden is your counter, order Sea Pearl and you'll get the same color. See the full Sea Pearl swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Timid Blue
The closest Glidden equivalent of Timid Blue is Rainsong (PPG1136-2). At ΔE 0.68 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same cool green undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 79 vs 79). If Glidden is your counter, order Rainsong and you'll get the same color. See the full Rainsong swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Timid Blue
Dutch Boy's nearest match is Beluga Gray (430-1DB), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.64). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 80 vs 79) and carries a cool blue-green undertone, so it substitutes for Timid Blue without repainting risk. See the full Beluga Gray swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Timid Blue
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Timid Blue. The nearest is Sterling White (HGSW 4056) at ΔE 3.79 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly darker (LRV 77 vs 79). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Sterling White swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Timid Blue
At Dunn-Edwards, the closest color to Timid Blue is White Lake (DE6323) — very close at ΔE 2.95, though not an exact twin. It runs noticeably darker (LRV 73 vs 79) and carries a cool blue-green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full White Lake swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Timid Blue
At Magnolia Home, the closest color to Timid Blue is Cloudy Gray (JG-115) — very close at ΔE 2.67, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 80 vs 79) and carries a cool green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Cloudy Gray swatch →
Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Timid Blue
At Farrow & Ball, the closest color to Timid Blue is Pavilion Blue (NO. 252) — very close at ΔE 2.49, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 78 vs 79) and carries a cool green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Pavilion Blue swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Timid Blue
At Diamond Vogel, the closest color to Timid Blue is Numero Uno (0439) — very close at ΔE 2.77, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 78 vs 79) and carries a cool green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Numero Uno swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Timid Blue
At Hirshfield's, the closest color to Timid Blue is Numero Uno (0439) — very close at ΔE 2.63, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly darker (LRV 77 vs 79) and carries a cool green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Numero Uno swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Timid Blue
Rodda has no exact twin of Timid Blue. The nearest is Standard White (CA025) at ΔE 4.12 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 80 vs 79). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Standard White swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Timid Blue
C2 Paint's nearest match is Chopin Etude (C2-947), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.92). It runs slightly lighter (LRV 81 vs 79) and carries a cool green undertone, so it substitutes for Timid Blue without repainting risk. See the full Chopin Etude swatch →
Clare Equivalent of Timid Blue
At Clare, the closest color to Timid Blue is Chill (PNT100-LT-06) — very close at ΔE 2.34, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 79 vs 79) and carries a cool green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Chill swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Timid Blue
At Kompozit, the closest color to Timid Blue is Numero Uno (0439) — very close at ΔE 2.63, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 78 vs 79) and carries a cool green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Numero Uno swatch →