Color spec
| Brand | Valspar |
| Name | Laissez-Faire |
| SKU | 8001-40B |
| Hex | #B2DAE9 |
| RGB | 178, 218, 233 |
| HSL | 196°, 56%, 81% |
| LRV | 65 |
| Undertone | cool blue-green tone |
| Family | Blue |
About Valspar Laissez-Faire
At LRV 65, Laissez-Faire is a light color that bounces daylight around a room without tipping into stark white. Its teal 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. It holds its undertone in most exposures, which is what makes light shades like this so forgiving room to room.
Laissez-Faire is an easy whole-room color for living spaces and bedrooms, and light enough to carry onto trim or a ceiling if you want a soft, seamless look. Blues calm a room, which makes them popular in bedrooms, bathrooms and home offices.
Closest matches by brand
12 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 blue from that brand.
Sherwin-Williams
Behr
Benjamin Moore
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
C2 Paint
Kompozit
Similar Valspar colors
closest in the Valspar deckThe nearest shades to Laissez-Faire 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 #B2DAE9 in HSL space. Pair Laissez-Faire 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 Laissez-Faire Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Laissez-Faire 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 8001-40B directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Laissez-Faire
The closest Sherwin-Williams equivalent of Laissez-Faire is Blue Refrain (SW 6956). At ΔE 0.47 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same cool blue-green undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 64 vs 65). If Sherwin-Williams is your counter, order Blue Refrain and you'll get the same color. See the full Blue Refrain swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Laissez-Faire
Behr's nearest match is Boot Cut (S510-2), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1). It runs slightly darker (LRV 63 vs 65) and carries a cool blue-green undertone, so it substitutes for Laissez-Faire without repainting risk. See the full Boot Cut swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Laissez-Faire
The closest Benjamin Moore equivalent of Laissez-Faire is Ocean Breeze (2058-60). At ΔE 0.38 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same cool blue-green undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 65 vs 65). If Benjamin Moore is your counter, order Ocean Breeze and you'll get the same color. See the full Ocean Breeze swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Laissez-Faire
PPG / Glidden's nearest match is Ariel (PPG1237-3), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.63). It runs slightly darker (LRV 63 vs 65) and carries a cool blue-green undertone, so it substitutes for Laissez-Faire without repainting risk. See the full Ariel swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Laissez-Faire
Glidden's nearest match is Ariel (PPG1237-3), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.67). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 64 vs 65) and carries a cool blue-green undertone, so it substitutes for Laissez-Faire without repainting risk. See the full Ariel swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Laissez-Faire
Dutch Boy's nearest match is Blue Crab Claw (137-2DB), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.49). It runs slightly lighter (LRV 67 vs 65) and carries a cool blue-green undertone, so it substitutes for Laissez-Faire without repainting risk. See the full Blue Crab Claw swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Laissez-Faire
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams's nearest match is Something Blue (HGSW 1376), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.17). It runs slightly darker (LRV 63 vs 65) and carries a cool blue-green undertone, so it substitutes for Laissez-Faire without repainting risk. See the full Something Blue swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Laissez-Faire
The closest Dunn-Edwards equivalent of Laissez-Faire is Glacier Point (DE5785). At ΔE 0.92 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same cool blue-green undertone and runs slightly darker (LRV 60 vs 65). If Dunn-Edwards is your counter, order Glacier Point and you'll get the same color. See the full Glacier Point swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Laissez-Faire
Diamond Vogel has no exact twin of Laissez-Faire. The nearest is Bridgewater Bay (0650) at ΔE 4.14 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 66 vs 65). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Bridgewater Bay swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Laissez-Faire
At Hirshfield's, the closest color to Laissez-Faire is Bridgewater Bay (0650) — very close at ΔE 3.26, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 66 vs 65) and carries a cool blue-green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Bridgewater Bay swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Laissez-Faire
C2 Paint has no exact twin of Laissez-Faire. The nearest is Thermal (C2-752) at ΔE 3.65 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly darker (LRV 63 vs 65). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Thermal swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Laissez-Faire
At Kompozit, the closest color to Laissez-Faire is Bridgewater Bay (0650) — very close at ΔE 3.26, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 65 vs 65) and carries a cool blue-green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Bridgewater Bay swatch →