Valspar US Shale Blue 8004-38D
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| Code: | 8004-38D |
| Name: | Shale Blue |
| Brand: | Valspar US |
What color is Valspar US Shale Blue?
Let's dive into a full Shale Blue paint color review. Take a look at pictures of real interiors and exteriors painted with beautiful 8004-38D. Find out if this gorgeous cold blue paint color would look great on your living room walls or trims, kitchen cabinet, bedroom accent wall, bathroom or house exterior.
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What are Valspar US Shale Blue undertones?
Shale Blue is a mid-light, very muted blue-gray. The HEX sample has a subtle blue bias, but its low chroma turns that hue into a neutral-looking color rather than a clear blue. Warm bulbs may gray the color down, while cool daylight usually makes its blue or teal direction clearer.
HEX value:
RGB code:
147, 168, 177
Is Valspar US Shale Blue cool or warm?
With a hue of 198°, this Blue reads cool based on its HSL hue position.
8004-38D Shale Blue HSL code: 198, 16%, 64%
Hue - degree on a color wheel from 0 to 360. 0 is red, 120 is green, and 240 is blue.
Saturation is expressed as a percentage. At 0%, it appears as a shade of grey, and at 100%, it is in full color.
Lightness is also a percentage value. 0% is black, and 100% is white.
How light temperature affects Shale Blue
Natural Lighting. During the day, natural light shifts from about 2000 K at sunrise/sunset to 5500–6500 K at noon.
In addition, natural-light temperature depends on its direction:
| Direction of sunlight | Visible temp. | Hue | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| North | Cool | Bluish | All day |
| East | Warm | Yellow | Before noon |
| West | Warm | Orange-red | After noon |
| South | Warm | Orange-yellow | All day |
Artificial Lighting. When choosing bulbs, pay attention to their color temperature in Kelvins.
Use the slider to see how this Blue shade looks under different lighting:


4000K
Coordinating colors.
Colors that go with Valspar US Shale Blue:
Monochromatic color scheme
This scheme consists of various shades, tints, and tones of a single color. While it offers a perfect combination of hues, without accent décor it may become monotonous.
Lighter shades
8004-38D
Shale Blue
Darker shades
Complementary color scheme
This color scheme is a combination of two shades that are opposite each other on the color wheel. The high contrast between these colors creates a vibrant and dynamic visual effect. For the color Shale Blue with a green hue, complementary colors are those with a red hue close to 18, such as Valspar US Foggy Mauve and Cocoa Berry.
LRV of Shale Blue
Shale Blue has an LRV of 37% and refers to Medium colors that reflect a lot of light. Why LRV is important?
Light Reflectance Value measures the amount of visible and usable light that reflects from a painted surface.
Simply put, the higher the LRV of a paint color, the brighter the room you will get.
The scale goes from 0% (absolute black, absorbing all light) to 100% (pure white, reflecting all light).
Act like a pro: When choosing paint with an LRV of 37%, pay attention to your bulbs' brightness. Light brightness is measured in lumens. The lower the paint's LRV, the higher lumen level you need. Every square foot of room needs at least 40 lumens. That means for a 200 ft2 living room you'll need about 8000 lumens of light – e.g., eight 1000 lm bulbs.
Color codes
We have collected almost every possible color code you could ever need.
Not sure what the difference between HEX and RGB is? We break down color models in plain language. Understanding color models
| Format | Code |
|---|---|
| HEX | #93a8b1 |
| RGB Decimal | 147, 168, 177 |
| RGB Percent | 57.65%, 65.88%, 69.41% |
| HSV | Hue: 198° Saturation: 16.95% Value: 69.41% |
| HSL | hsl(198, 16, 64) |
| CMYK | Cyan: 16.95 Magenta: 5.08 Yellow: 0.0 Key: 30.59 |
| YIQ | Y: 162.747 I: -15.406 Q: -1.641 |
| XYZ | X: 33.968 Y: 37.382 Z: 47.009 |
| CIE Lab | L:67.562 a:-5.357 b:-7.087 |
| CIE Luv | L:67.562 u:-11.558 v:-9.705 |
| Decimal | 9676977 |
| Hunter Lab | 61.141, -7.825, -2.787 |
Color equivalents
S 3010-B
NCS

SW 6227
Meditative
Sherwin Williams

CSP-605
Dusty Cornflower
Benjamin Moore

V438
Tikkurila

PPU14-09
Windsurf
Behr
V107-4
Cool Customer
Valspar US
4008-3C
Silver Fox
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S 3010-B10G
NCS

N480-4
French Colony
Behr

2129-50
Winter Lake
Benjamin Moore
70BG 43/103
Winter Teal 3
Dulux
N470-4
Nor'Wester
Behr
SW 2863
Powder Blue
Sherwin Williams
1648
Slate Blue
Benjamin Moore

10BB 40/090
Niagara Blues 3
Dulux
SW 9147
Favorite Jeans
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90BG 42/106
Ocean Stone
Dulux
RAL 180-M
RAL Effect



