Sherwin Williams Endless Sea, Is it Teal or Navy? (Undertones and Dupes!)

In an endless sea of paint colors, should you reach for Sherwin Williams Endless Sea?

Sherwin Williams Endless Sea on a book cabinet with a potted plant on top, in front of a light blue wall.

Here we will look at all things deep teal blue as we dive into this ocean inspired hue. We will talk about undertones, see coordinating colors, check it out in real homes, and go over some dupes!

What Are the Undertones of Sherwin Williams Endless Sea?

Endless Sea is a saturated deep blue color with teal undertones. I personally expected it to appear teal a little more often than it does.

Sherwin Williams Endless Sea showing two different undertones in two different real life scenarios. On the left the color pulls more teal and on the right the color looks true blue. — Left: @1907homerenovation
Right: @grcabinetpainting

I would say that this color most often reads like a bold true blue. Compared to a traditional navy, Endless Sea does appear a bit more teal, and it doesn’t have any gray in it, unlike many popular deep blues.

Sherwin Williams Endless Sea on half of a wall and the darker navy of Sherwin Williams Naval on the other half, behind a wooden console table and wooden chair.

Compared to some other true teal colors, Endless Sea is definitely more blue.

A scale of blue paint colors with a drop of Endless sea in the middle and an arrow indicating that the drop of Moscow Midnight above is more green, and the drop of Dignified below is more blue. Background is a watercolor teal splodge.

(For an uber saturated green teal, you might like Sherwin Williams Blue Peacock, or the more subdued Cascades.)

I was surprised to see the lighter colors on the Endless Sea color strip all looking pretty powder blue:

Sherwin Williams Endless Sea color strip features similar colors from light to dark:

Inky Blue is pretty reminiscent of old favorite Benjamin Moore Aegean Teal, but the rest do not have much teal undertone to speak of. I guess that’s not a surprise, since Endless Sea does tend to stay pretty blue as well.

Endless Sea is a great choice if you want a blue without purple or peri undertones.

This is as close to purple as Endless Sea ever looks, and I’m pretty sure it’s down to the bright white lights:

Sherwin Williams Endless Sea on all wall cabinets around a stainless steel stove and microwave. Countertops are a white and brown stone — Photo credit: @grcabinetpainting

You can see that the lower cabinets without the direct glare look warmer than the uppers.

The LRV of Endless Sea is 9.

Sherwin Williams Endless Sea on an island, with an LRV chart over top, indicating that Endless Sea has an LRV of 9 on a scale from 0 (true black) to 100 (pure white). — Photo credit: @grcabinetpainting

The LRV of a color indicates on a scale of 0 – 100 how much light a color reflects (or doesn’t reflect). True black has an LRV of 0 and pure white has an LRV of 100.

In the paint world, we are working in a range of about 3 – 93 because no paint color is purely black or completely white.

At 9, Endless Sea is technically a dark paint color (usually an LRV of 10 or less), but because it is so saturated, I find that it reads brighter, and more like a darker mid-toned color.

Sherwin Williams Endless Sea in a Color Palette

Let’s take a look at some coordinating paint colors for Endless Sea!

Sherwin Williams Endless Sea color palette features Pure White, Guild Grey, Sleepy Blue, Mindful Gray, and Endless Sea, all on paint lids over a background photo of Endless Sea on a book cabinet in front of a light blue wall with a framed botanical print on the wall.

I struggled a little with deciding on what colors I would use with this rich blue. Ultimately, I would use this color intending for it to be the star, so I went a little more subdued with the coordinating colors than I typically would.

Neutral Paint Color to Use with Endless Sea

Technically a very warm beige would be complementary to Endless Sea, but I was having trouble incorporating one without making a color palette that looked dated.

None of the matches were really my taste, so I went with a couple softer options.

Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray

Mindful Gray is a really light greige paint color. The underlying warmth is complementary to Endless Sea, but it is fresh and light.

Paint dot of Sherwin Williams Endless Sea beside coordinating color Mindful Gray

Sherwin Williams Guild Gray

I chose this shade not realizing that apparently nobody in the entire universe has used this color! It should be a perfect neutral gray with a hint of a warm putty undertone.

Paint dot of Sherwin Williams Endless Sea beside coordinating color Guild Grey

This is a great neutral to neither clash with Endless Sea, or read too beige.

Coordinating White Paint Color for Endless Sea

Personally, I would keep things crisp when it comes to using white with Endless Sea. Because orange tones are technically opposite and complementary to blues and teals, it may have a tendency to highlight underlying warm tones in white.

This means that creamy whites will potentially look more yellow next to Endless Sea, even if they wouldn’t normally.

I like the idea of using Sherwin Williams Pure White with Endless Sea. This foolproof white is a little bit warm, but it has a hint of gray in it, so it usually reads…Pure White!

Paint dot of Sherwin Williams Endless Sea beside coordinating color Pure White

If you have your heart set on a truly warmer white, try Benjamin Moore Simply White. This white is about as bright as a creamy white can get, so it strikes a nice balance between crisp and cozy.

Try Endless Sea with Sherwin Williams Sleepy Blue

Sleepy Blue is a light blue that, like Endless Sea, can have a hint of a greenish undertone, but truly just a whiff.

Paint dot of Sherwin Williams Endless Sea beside coordinating color Sleepy Blue

This flexible light blue is a nice coastal color that you can use in place of a warmer neutral or gray. It brings a subtle breath of color and still pairs beautifully with the other colors in this palette, as well as truly warm neutrals.

Sherwin Williams Recommends These Coordinating Colors

Listen…I don’t mean to be a hater…

But this just isn’t the vibe I bring to the function, you know?

Use Endless Sea with Sherwin Williams Icicle

Icicle is the only color of the Sherwin Williams recommendations that I can get behind. This gray blue is light enough to be classed as an off-white.

Paint dot of Sherwin Williams Endless Sea beside coordinating color Icicle

Icicle has a slight lavender undertone, but it can definitely work with Endless Sea.

Pair Endless Sea and Sherwin Williams Dirty Martini

Dirty Martini is technically a good complementary color because it has that warmer beige undertone.

I can’t really get past the vision of an early 2000’s jungle themed bedroom with these two, but I suppose that’s just my experience.

Try Endless Sea with Sherwin Williams Dark Clove

Dark Clove is a very wood-toned color, so if you were to use it in a way that mimics wood and it makes sense, then I could see it working with Endless Sea.

For example, you could use Dark Clove as a kitchen island color if you wanted to go for a wood look but you weren’t working with real wood cabinets.

Paint dot of Sherwin Williams Endless Sea beside coordinating color Dark Clove

While typically it is a true chocolate brown, Dark Clove can have a slightly green undertone, so if you hate olive, I might look elsewhere!

For a dark brown color that I like a little better, check out Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze.

Here is another look at all of these coordinating colors:

All coordinating colors for Sherwin Williams Endless Sea arranged on paint lids over a brown and teal carpet.

Sherwin Williams Endless Sea in Real Homes

Let’s take a look at Endless Sea in a couple real-life scenarios!

Endless Sea on Kitchen Cabinets

We peeped this kitchen by GR Fine Finishes a little earlier, but here are a few more shots.

Swatch of Sherwin Williams Endless Sea below a photo of the color on kitchen cabinets — Photo credit: @grcabinetpainting

This is where I was surprised to see that it doesn’t look particularly teal at all. I do think that’s partially due to the sheen and the bright lights, but not entirely.

This picture is as teal as it gets…I think for both this kitchen, and in real life:

A small section of Endless Sea top and bottom cabinets in a coffee bar with a wine fridge. — Photo credit: @grcabinetpainting

Again the lower cabinets are the best look at the color.

On the island the color looks a bit more navy:

Sherwin Williams Endless Sea on island cabinets with pewter hardware and stone countertops. — Photo credit: @grcabinetpainting

And in this full shot of the kitchen it looks like a true mid-toned blue:

Sherwin Williams Endless Sea on all cabinets in a large kitchen with an island. Countertops are a white and brown stone — Photo credit: @grcabinetpainting

If you are looking for a color along these lines for your kitchen cabinets, check out my post: 9 Tantalizing Teal Paint Colors for Kitchen Cabinets (#5 is Controversial)

Endless Sea in the Bedroom

Moving on to the bedroom we can get a better look at the full beautiful depth of this color:

Closeup of Sherwin Williams Endless Sea on a wall with framed car themed posters. — Photo Credit: @1907homerenovation

Here is Endless Sea looking its darkest and most muted:

Sherwin Williams Endless Sea in a boy bedroom with three single beds, warm wood floors, and a chandelier. — Photo Credit: @1907homerenovation

Closer photo of Sherwin Williams Endless Sea in a boy bedroom with three single beds with navy and red bed linens. — Photo Credit: @1907homerenovation

And here it looks on the lighter side:

Closeup of a framed Porsche poster on a wall painted in Sherwin Willians Endless Sea. — Photo Credit: @1907homerenovation

What is the Difference Between Endless Sea and Salty Dog?

When I first saw Endless Sea in real life, it reminded me a bit of Sherwin Williams Salty Dog, which is a very bright and saturated blue.

So how do these two compare?

Sherwin Williams Endless Sea on half of a wall and the more blue color Sherwin Williams Salty Dog on the other half, behind a wooden console table and wooden chair.

They actually are very alike on paper! In the real world, Salty Dog does not ever look teal, but the bluest face of Endless Sea could look pretty similar.

Dupes for Sherwin Williams Endless Sea

Want to get this look from another brand? Here are some alternatives to Endless Sea:

Dupes for Endless Sea from other brands. Three paint dots of similar colors below a larger dot of Endless Sea. Colors are Lucerne, Shasta Lake, and Deep Twilight Blue, over a white background with 3 pieces of sea glass in a similar blue color lining the right side.

Endless Sea in Benjamin Moore

The best match for Endless Sea from Benjamin Moore is the color Lucerne.

Sherwin Williams Endless Sea on half of a wall and Benjamin Moore Dupe Lucerne on the other half behind a white sofa and wooden coffee table.

I find that Lucerne is a pretty perfect match, but just a little bit lighter. It is also a tiny bit more saturated (brighter). In real life it looks exactly like the lighter presentation of Endless Sea.

Valspar Version of Endless Sea

From Valspar the best color match for Endless Sea is the color Deep Twilight Blue.

Sherwin Williams Endless Sea on half of a wall and Valspar Dupe Deep Twilight Blue on the other half behind a white sofa and wooden coffee table.

Deep Twilight Blue is just a touch darker than Endless Sea, and a tiny bit more gray. This is probably my favorite of the color matches.

Behr Equivalent for Endless Sea

Over at Home Depot the best alternative to Endless Sea is Behr Shasta Lake.

Sherwin Williams Endless Sea on half of a wall and Behr Shasta Lake on the other half behind a gray sofa and matching throw.

Like the Benjamin Moore dupe, Shasta Lake is a little bit lighter and more saturated than Endless Sea, but not as light as Lucerne.

Here is another look at all of these dupes:

Dupes for Endless Sea from other brands. Three swatches of similar colors line the right side of the graphic. Colors are Lucerne, Shasta Lake, and Deep Twilight Blue, over a background of Endless Sea with an abstract wave flowing between the color and the swatches for contrast.

I hope this helped you get a better idea of how Endless Sea will look in your home!

Thank you so much for reading all the way to the end of this post, that really helps my blog!

Not the one for you? Here are some other colors that you might like even better:

Graphic Reads "Teal Kitchen Cabinets" with swatches of teal paint colors Aegean Teal, Rocky River, Grays Harbor, Black Forest Green, Dark Harbor, Deep Sea Dive, Cascades, Intense Teal, and Blue Peacock, over a background of teal cabinets in a white kitchen.

Swatch of Sherwin Williams Gray's Harbor below a photo of that same teal color on kitchen cabinets.

Swatch of Benjamin Moore Black Forest Green below a photo of that same teal color on kitchen cabinets. — Photo Credit: @highland.haven