Home › Benjamin Moore › Blue › Denim Wash
Denim Wash 838
On-screen approximation from the published RGB value. Order a physical sample before you decide.
Undertone: Saturated blue (a color, not a neutral)
In CIELAB, Denim Wash sits at L* 64.6, a* -4.3, b* -14.5. Its hue angle is 254° and its chroma is 15.1, so it reads as an outright blue rather than a neutral. It classifies as cool. Among Benjamin Moore colors with a similar LRV (±5), it is warmer (more yellow) than 7%.
LRV 35.2: mid-tone
Light Reflectance Value runs from 0 (absolute black) to 100 (perfect white). At 35.2, Denim Wash is lighter than 39% of Benjamin Moore colors. Reads clearly as a color. Best in rooms with good natural light, or as an accent wall; small dark rooms may feel smaller.
Closest Sherwin-Williams match to Denim Wash
Ranked by CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE) computed from published RGB values. Below 2 is hard to tell apart on the wall; above 4 is a different color.
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notable Hue | SW 6521 | 2.31 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Dyer's Woad | SW 9071 | 2.49 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Bluesy Note | SW 9064 | 2.60 | Close — difference visible side by side |
Closest Behr match to Denim Wash
Ranked by CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE) computed from published RGB values. Below 2 is hard to tell apart on the wall; above 4 is a different color. Behr does not publish LRV, so Behr values here are estimates.
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaiian Sky | PPU14-07 | 1.75 | Very close | |
| Hawaiian Sky | PPU14-7 | 1.75 | Very close | |
| Private Jet | S520-4 | 1.95 | Very close |
Similar Benjamin Moore colors
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colonial Blue | 1677 | 2.39 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Soft Jazz | 809 | 2.54 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Labrador Blue | 1670 | 3.84 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Harlequin Blue | 830 | 4.02 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Cable Knit Sweater | CSP-650 | 4.34 | Similar, clearly different | |
| San Francisco Bay | 802 | 4.44 | Similar, clearly different |
Lighter and darker versions
Colors from Benjamin Moore with nearly the same hue and saturation, one step lighter or darker.
- Harlequin Blue 830 · lighter, LRV 38.3
- Yukon Sky 1439 · lighter, LRV 38.8
- Yukon Sky CC-920 · lighter, LRV 38.8
- Amsterdam AF-550 · darker, LRV 29.2
- Flower Box CSP-530 · darker, LRV 28.9
- Polaris Blue 1649 · darker, LRV 29.3
Colors that go with Denim Wash
Color-theory pairings — the nearest Benjamin Moore color to each rotated hue, keeping the same lightness and saturation:
- Dellwood Sand 1019 · complementary (180°)
- St. John Blue CSP-675 · analogous (−30°)
- Dreamy 1425 · analogous (+30°)
- Mauve Mist 1264 · triadic (120°)
- Greenwich Village 445 · triadic (240°)
Denim Wash vs popular colors
- Aegean Teal (Benjamin Moore 2136-40, ΔE 12.3) is darker (LRV 25.1 vs 35.2), more yellow/warm, more green, more muted.
- Smoke (Benjamin Moore 2122-40, ΔE 14.5) is lighter (LRV 56.4 vs 35.2), more yellow/warm, more muted.
- Coventry Gray (Benjamin Moore HC-169, ΔE 15.5) is lighter (LRV 48.2 vs 35.2), more yellow/warm, more red/pink, more muted.