Color spec
| Brand | Valspar |
| Name | Novella Blue |
| SKU | 4004-5B |
| Hex | #A8C3D8 |
| RGB | 168, 195, 216 |
| HSL | 206°, 38%, 75% |
| LRV | 52.4 |
| Undertone | cool blue tone |
| Family | Blue |
About Valspar Novella Blue
At LRV 52.4, Novella Blue is a light color that bounces daylight around a room without tipping into stark white. 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. It holds its undertone in most exposures, which is what makes light shades like this so forgiving room to room.
Novella Blue 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
17 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
Farrow & Ball
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
C2 Paint
Clare
Portola Paints
Annie Sloan
Backdrop
Kompozit
Similar Valspar colors
closest in the Valspar deckThe nearest shades to Novella Blue 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 #A8C3D8 in HSL space. Pair Novella 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.
Valspar Novella Blue Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Novella 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 Valspar 4004-5B directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Novella Blue
Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Novella Blue. The nearest is Vast Sky (SW 6506) at ΔE 4.12 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 52.4). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Vast Sky swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Novella Blue
At Behr, the closest color to Novella Blue is Vanity (N540-3) — very close at ΔE 3, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 52 vs 52.4) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Vanity swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Novella Blue
At Benjamin Moore, the closest color to Novella Blue is Palatial Skies (800) — very close at ΔE 2.53, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 52.4) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Palatial Skies swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Novella Blue
The closest PPG / Glidden equivalent of Novella Blue is Blue Bows (PPG1158-3). At ΔE 0.72 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same cool blue undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 51 vs 52.4). If PPG / Glidden is your counter, order Blue Bows and you'll get the same color. See the full Blue Bows swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Novella Blue
Glidden's nearest match is Blue Bows (PPG1158-3), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.49). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 52 vs 52.4) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Novella Blue without repainting risk. See the full Blue Bows swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Novella Blue
Dutch Boy's nearest match is Water Drop (238-3DB), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.53). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 52 vs 52.4) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Novella Blue without repainting risk. See the full Water Drop swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Novella Blue
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Novella Blue. The nearest is Cold River (HGSW 2366) at ΔE 4.12 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 52.4). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Cold River swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Novella Blue
At Dunn-Edwards, the closest color to Novella Blue is Afternoon Sky (DE5877) — very close at ΔE 3.05, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 51 vs 52.4) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Afternoon Sky swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Novella Blue
Diamond Vogel's nearest match is Bluette (0616), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.89). It runs slightly darker (LRV 50 vs 52.4) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Novella Blue without repainting risk. See the full Bluette swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Novella Blue
Hirshfield's's nearest match is Dancing in the Rain (0644), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.63). It runs slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 52.4) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Novella Blue without repainting risk. See the full Dancing in the Rain swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Novella Blue
At C2 Paint, the closest color to Novella Blue is Tidal (C2-768) — very close at ΔE 3.26, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly darker (LRV 50 vs 52.4) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Tidal swatch →
Clare Equivalent of Novella Blue
Clare has no exact twin of Novella Blue. The nearest is Cloud Watching (PNT100-MD-73) at ΔE 3.61 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly darker (LRV 50 vs 52.4). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Cloud Watching swatch →
Portola Paints Equivalent of Novella Blue
Portola Paints's nearest match is Illusion (ILLUSION), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.79). It runs slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 52.4) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Novella Blue without repainting risk. See the full Illusion swatch →
Annie Sloan Equivalent of Novella Blue
Annie Sloan has no exact twin of Novella Blue. The nearest is Louis Blue (LOUIS BLUE) at ΔE 3.8 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly darker (LRV 50 vs 52.4). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Louis Blue swatch →
Backdrop Equivalent of Novella Blue
At Backdrop, the closest color to Novella Blue is Lost in the 80s (BD-LO) — very close at ΔE 2.74, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 51 vs 52.4) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Lost in the 80s swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Novella Blue
Kompozit's nearest match is Dancing in the Rain (0644), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.63). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 53 vs 52.4) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Novella Blue without repainting risk. See the full Dancing in the Rain swatch →