Denim Wash (BM 838)
Illustrative room. Screen colors vary; test a sample before you paint.
Denim Wash (BM 838) is a deep, cool blue from Benjamin Moore: LRV 35.2, so it reflects about 35 percent of the light that hits it.
Colors that go with Denim Wash
Four Benjamin Moore colors picked for Denim Wash by this site's color math: a trim white, a deeper blue, a quiet contrast from another family, a dark accent. Benjamin Moore did not choose these pairings.
Closest match in every other brand
Each brand's closest color to Denim Wash, 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 | Notable Hue | SW 6521 | 37 | 2.3 | noticeably different |
| Behr | Hawaiian Sky | PPU14-07 | 34.3 | 1.8 | very close |
| Valspar | Office Blue | 4005-6A | 32 | 1.3 | very close |
| PPG Paints | Kaleidoscope | 1160-4 | 37 | 2.4 | noticeably different |
Lighter and darker in Benjamin Moore
The Benjamin Moore blue colors nearest to Denim Wash (LRV 35.2) by LRV.
Lighter than Denim Wash
Darker than Denim Wash
Color data
| Brand | Benjamin Moore |
|---|---|
| Color code | 838 |
| Hex | #85A0B6 |
| RGB | 133, 160, 182 |
| HSL | 207°, 25%, 62% |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 35.2 |
| Lab L*, a*, b* | 64.6, -4.3, -14.5 |
| Undertone | Cool Blue |
| Temperature | cool |
| Color family | Blue |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Denim Wash (BM 838), published as #85A0B6
#7196B4
#99AAB6
These swatches and the rooms above are a simulation, not a measurement. How the visualizer works
Similar shades from Benjamin Moore
More from Benjamin Moore
Common questions
- What is the LRV of Denim Wash (BM 838)?
- Denim Wash has an LRV of 35.2. LRV runs from 0 (black) to 100 (pure white) and measures the share of light a surface reflects, so Denim Wash is a deep color.
- What is the closest match to Denim Wash in another brand?
- Office Blue (Valspar 4005-6A) from Valspar, at a deltaE of 1.3 (very close).
- Is Denim Wash warm or cool?
- Benjamin Moore lists Denim Wash as cool, with a Cool Blue undertone. Its Lab b* value is -14.5; a higher b* is warmer and yellower, a lower one cooler and bluer.
Sources: LRV and hex as published by the manufacturer, via PaintDB (CC BY 4.0). 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.