Shale Blue
8004-38D · #93A8B1 · LRV 37 — cool blue-green tone, mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.
- 1Hale Navy8
- 2Waterloo13
- 3Shale Blue37
- 4Lost in the 80s51
- 5Honolulu Blue62
What Color Is Shale Blue, Really?
Shale Blue reads as a cool blue-green tone — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover how Valspar 8004-38D behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Shale Blue
Shale Blue is versatile enough for full rooms but has enough depth to anchor a space, so it suits living rooms, bedrooms and cabinetry alike. Blues calm a room, which makes them popular in bedrooms, bathrooms and home offices.
How Lighting Changes Shale Blue
Shale Blue sits in the mid-range at LRV 37, so it shifts visibly through the day — lighter and more open in morning light, deeper and moodier after dark. 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. South-facing rooms will pull it lighter and warmer, while north light cools it down.
Most complaints about Shale Blue 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.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint Valspar 8004-38D 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.
| Brand | Closest color | ΔE | LRV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherwin-Williams | MeditativeSW 6227 · Sherwin-Williams | 1.5 | 38 | Color page → |
| Behr | Down Pour760F-4 · Behr | 0.7 | 38 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | New Hope Gray2130-50 · Benjamin Moore | 4.0 | 39 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Dresden DreamPPG1155-5 · PPG / Glidden | 3.3 | 37 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Hazy Seacliff Teal30BG 37/110 · Glidden | 2.9 | 37 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Whiskful432-4DB · Dutch Boy | 0.0 | 37 | Color page → |
Similar Valspar Colors
The nearest shades to Shale Blue within Valspar's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
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 #93A8B1 in HSL space. Pair Shale Blue with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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