Color spec
| Brand | Valspar |
| Name | Aurora Borealis |
| SKU | P037 |
| Hex | #536984 |
| RGB | 83, 105, 132 |
| HSL | 213°, 23%, 42% |
| LRV | 13.5 |
| Undertone | cool blue tone |
| Family | Gray |
About Valspar Aurora Borealis
With an LRV of 13.5, Aurora Borealis 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.
Aurora Borealis works best as a feature — a single wall, built-ins, a study or dining room — rather than wrapping a whole bright space. 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.
Sherwin-Williams
Behr
Benjamin Moore
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Farrow & Ball
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
C2 Paint
Clare
Backdrop
Rust-Oleum
Kompozit
Similar Valspar colors
closest in the Valspar deckThe nearest shades to Aurora Borealis within Valspar'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 #536984 in HSL space. Pair Aurora Borealis 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.
Valspar Aurora Borealis Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Aurora Borealis 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 Valspar P037 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Aurora Borealis
At Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Aurora Borealis is Denim (SW 6523) — very close at ΔE 2.31, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 14 vs 13.5) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Denim swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Aurora Borealis
At Behr, the closest color to Aurora Borealis is Dark Room (BNC-29) — very close at ΔE 2.54, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 14 vs 13.5) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Dark Room swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Aurora Borealis
At Benjamin Moore, the closest color to Aurora Borealis is Blue Heron (832) — very close at ΔE 3.18, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 14 vs 13.5) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Blue Heron swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Aurora Borealis
PPG / Glidden's nearest match is Stained Glass (PPG1165-6), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.79). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 13 vs 13.5) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Aurora Borealis without repainting risk. See the full Stained Glass swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Aurora Borealis
Glidden's nearest match is Midship Blue (30BB 14/173), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.44). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 14 vs 13.5) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Aurora Borealis without repainting risk. See the full Midship Blue swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Aurora Borealis
At Dutch Boy, the closest color to Aurora Borealis is Star Gazing (238-6DB) — very close at ΔE 2.31, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 14 vs 13.5) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Star Gazing swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Aurora Borealis
At HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Aurora Borealis is Denim (HGSW 2382) — very close at ΔE 2.31, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 14 vs 13.5) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Denim swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Aurora Borealis
At Dunn-Edwards, the closest color to Aurora Borealis is Blue Print (DET575) — very close at ΔE 3.08, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 14 vs 13.5) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Blue Print swatch →
Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Aurora Borealis
Farrow & Ball has no exact twin of Aurora Borealis. The nearest is Wine Dark (NO. 308) at ΔE 4.92 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 13 vs 13.5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Wine Dark swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Aurora Borealis
At Diamond Vogel, the closest color to Aurora Borealis is Honky Tonk Blue (0619) — very close at ΔE 3.24, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 15 vs 13.5) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Honky Tonk Blue swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Aurora Borealis
Hirshfield's has no exact twin of Aurora Borealis. The nearest is Honky Tonk Blue (0619) at ΔE 3.88 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 16 vs 13.5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Honky Tonk Blue swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Aurora Borealis
At C2 Paint, the closest color to Aurora Borealis is Treble (C2-746) — very close at ΔE 2.36, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 15 vs 13.5) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Treble swatch →
Clare Equivalent of Aurora Borealis
Clare has no exact twin of Aurora Borealis. The nearest is Blue'd Up (PNT100-MD-57) at ΔE 4.53 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 13 vs 13.5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Blue'd Up swatch →
Backdrop Equivalent of Aurora Borealis
Backdrop has no exact twin of Aurora Borealis. The nearest is Mom Jeans (BD-MJ) at ΔE 4.99 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 18 vs 13.5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Mom Jeans swatch →
Rust-Oleum Equivalent of Aurora Borealis
At Rust-Oleum, the closest color to Aurora Borealis is Coastal Blue (329207) — very close at ΔE 2.79, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly darker (LRV 12 vs 13.5) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Coastal Blue swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Aurora Borealis
Kompozit has no exact twin of Aurora Borealis. The nearest is Honky Tonk Blue (0619) at ΔE 3.88 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 13 vs 13.5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Honky Tonk Blue swatch →