Home › Sherwin-Williams › Blue › Searching Blue
Searching Blue SW 6536
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, Searching Blue sits at L* 52.6, a* -0.3, b* -16.7. Its hue angle is 269° and its chroma is 16.8, so it reads as an outright blue rather than a neutral. It classifies as cool. Among Sherwin-Williams colors with a similar LRV (±5), it is warmer (more yellow) than 7%.
LRV 20.6: dark
Light Reflectance Value runs from 0 (absolute black) to 100 (perfect white). At 20.6, Searching Blue is lighter than 27% of Sherwin-Williams colors. Absorbs most light. Good for accent walls, cabinets, doors and exteriors; needs good lighting indoors.
Closest Benjamin Moore match to Searching Blue
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stratford Blue | 831 | 3.08 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Yin Yang | 824 | 3.33 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Luxe | AF-580 | 3.72 | Close — difference visible side by side |
Closest Behr match to Searching Blue
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lead Cast | MQ5-52 | 0.51 | Practically identical | |
| Brisk Blue | S530-5 | 1.27 | Very close | |
| Blueberry Patch | 600D-6 | 2.95 | Close — difference visible side by side |
Similar Sherwin-Williams colors
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soulful Blue | SW 6543 | 4.58 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Perfect Periwinkle | SW 9065 | 5.39 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Sporty Blue | SW 6522 | 5.67 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Scanda | SW 6529 | 5.90 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Venture Violet | SW 6970 | 6.39 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Bracing Blue | SW 6242 | 7.02 | Similar, clearly different |
Lighter and darker versions
Colors from Sherwin-Williams with nearly the same hue and saturation, one step lighter or darker.
- Sporty Blue SW 6522 · lighter, LRV 23.9
- Bracing Blue SW 6242 · lighter, LRV 24.6
- Scanda SW 6529 · lighter, LRV 24.6
- Inky Blue SW 9149 · darker, LRV 15.4
- Distance SW 6243 · darker, LRV 15.2
- Down Pour SW 6516 · darker, LRV 15.0
Colors that go with Searching Blue
Sherwin-Williams's own coordinating colors for Searching Blue:
- Evening Shadow SW 7662
- Dustblu SW 9161
- Rarified Air SW 6525
Color-theory pairings — the nearest Sherwin-Williams color to each rotated hue, keeping the same lightness and saturation:
- Meadow Trail SW 7737 · complementary (180°)
- Secure Blue SW 6508 · analogous (−30°)
- Mythical SW 6550 · analogous (+30°)
- Rose Brocade SW 0004 · triadic (120°)
- Gallery Green SW 0015 · triadic (240°)
Searching Blue vs popular colors
- Aegean Teal (Benjamin Moore 2136-40, ΔE 13.1) is lighter (LRV 25.1 vs 20.6), more yellow/warm, more green, more muted.
- Van Deusen Blue (Benjamin Moore HC-156, ΔE 14.4) is darker (LRV 12.0 vs 20.6), more yellow/warm, more green, more muted.
- Gauntlet Gray (Sherwin-Williams SW 7019, ΔE 16.0) is darker (LRV 17.4 vs 20.6), more yellow/warm, more red/pink, more muted.