Gulf Waters (Behr MQ4-52)
Illustrative room. Screen colors vary; test a sample before you paint.
Gulf Waters (Behr MQ4-52) is a deep, cool blue from Behr: LRV 31.6, so it reflects about 32 percent of the light that hits it.
Colors that go with Gulf Waters
Four Behr colors picked for Gulf Waters by this site's color math: a trim white, a deeper blue, a quiet contrast from another family, a dark accent. Behr did not choose these pairings.
Closest match in every other brand
Each brand's closest color to Gulf Waters, ranked by CIEDE2000 (deltaE): under 1.0 is indistinguishable, 1.0 to 2.3 very close, 2.3 to 5 noticeably different, over 5 clearly different.
| Brand | Closest color | Code | LRV | deltaE | How close |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherwin-Williams | Jamaica Bay | SW 6781 | 30 | 2.1 | very close |
| Benjamin Moore | Dream I Can Fly | 769 | 31.2 | 3.2 | noticeably different |
| Valspar | Fragrant Bouquet | 5003-10B | 28 | 3.0 | noticeably different |
| PPG Paints | Jamaican Sea | 1236-6 | 31 | 1.6 | very close |
Lighter and darker in Behr
The Behr blue colors nearest to Gulf Waters (LRV 31.6 (estimated)) by LRV.
Lighter than Gulf Waters
Darker than Gulf Waters
Color data
| Brand | Behr |
|---|---|
| Color code | MQ4-52 |
| Hex | #2DA6BF |
| RGB | 45, 166, 191 |
| HSL | 190°, 62%, 46% |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 31.6 (estimated from the hex) |
| Lab L*, a*, b* | 63.0, -24.0, -22.2 |
| Undertone | Cool Blue |
| Temperature | cool |
| Color family | Blue |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Gulf Waters (Behr MQ4-52), published as #2DA6BF
#009CBD
#53B0BF
These swatches and the rooms above are a simulation, not a measurement. How the visualizer works
Similar shades from Behr
More from Behr
Common questions
- What is the LRV of Gulf Waters (Behr MQ4-52)?
- Gulf Waters has an LRV of 31.6 (estimated from its hex value). LRV runs from 0 (black) to 100 (pure white) and measures the share of light a surface reflects, so Gulf Waters is a deep color.
- What is the closest match to Gulf Waters in another brand?
- Jamaican Sea (PPG 1236-6) from PPG Paints, at a deltaE of 1.6 (very close).
- Is Gulf Waters warm or cool?
- Behr lists Gulf Waters as cool, with a Cool Blue undertone. Its Lab b* value is -22.2; a higher b* is warmer and yellower, a lower one cooler and bluer.
Sources: hex as published by the manufacturer, via PaintDB (CC BY 4.0); LRV is not published by Behr for this color and is estimated here from the color's own hex value. Color differences are CIEDE2000 values computed by this site from the hex values (data snapshot 2026-10-01). Color names and codes belong to their manufacturers.