Color guide · Valspar · Blue

In the Deep Blue Sea

8004-40F · #5C6C76 · LRV 14 · cool blue tone

8004-40F · #5C6C76 · LRV 14 — cool blue tone, dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.

In the Deep Blue SeaValspar · 8004-40F
The color, edge to edge.Use your own photo →
In the Deep Blue Sea
VALSPAR · 8004-40F · #5C6C76
Brand · codeValspar8004-40F · all Valspar blues
LRV14Dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.
Undertonecool blue tone
FamilyBlue
Hex · RGB · HSL#5C6C76 · 92, 108, 118 · 203°, 12%, 41%Display values from the brand. Match it at another brand
Sheen we recommendEggshell on walls · satin on trim and cabinetsWhich sheen where, explained
Where it sits, light to dark
  1. 1Anchors Aweigh3
  2. 2Hale Navy8
  3. 3In the Deep Blue Sea14
  4. 4Charcoal Blue19
  5. 5Resolute Blue40
Undertone and depth

What Color Is In the Deep Blue Sea, Really?

In the Deep Blue Sea reads as a cool blue tone — dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs. The notes below cover how Valspar 8004-40F behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.

Room by room

Best Rooms and Uses for In the Deep Blue Sea

In the Deep Blue Sea 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.

Light by light

How Lighting Changes In the Deep Blue Sea

With an LRV of 14, In the Deep Blue Sea 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.

Test it in your light, not a showroom's

Most complaints about In the Deep Blue Sea 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.

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Same color, different store

Need It From Another Brand?

Any paint counter can custom-tint Valspar 8004-40F 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.

Same deck, next chip over

Similar Valspar Colors

The nearest shades to In the Deep Blue Sea within Valspar's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.

Contrast, for text and signage
Black text on In the Deep Blue Sea · 3.9 : 1 · large text onlyWhite text on In the Deep Blue Sea · 5.4 : 1 · passes AA

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 #5C6C76 in HSL space. Pair In the Deep Blue Sea with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#5C6C76 + #76665C
TRIADIC
#5C6C76 · #765C6C · #6C765C
ANALOGOUS
#5C7673 · #5C6C76 · #5C5F76

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Jessica Williams

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