Breeze → Sherwin Williams
The closest Sherwin Williams matches for Behr Breeze (MQ3-21), ranked by perceptual color distance.
Finding a Sherwin Williams Equivalent for Breeze
If you love Behr Breeze but need a Sherwin Williams alternative, you are not alone. This is one of the most common cross-brand paint matching searches, whether you are working with a painter who prefers Sherwin Williams, your local store does not carry Behr, or you simply want to compare prices across brands before committing.
Breeze (MQ3-21) is a light blue with cool blue-gray undertones. A very light, airy blue-gray. Reads as a soft, coastal blue in bright rooms and a cool neutral gray in dim rooms. To find a good Sherwin Williams match, we need a color that captures not just the right depth (LRV 65) but also that specific undertone character. That is where Delta E color science comes in.
We calculated the perceptual color distance between Breeze and every Sherwin Williams color using the CIE2000 Delta E formula, which measures how different two colors look to the human eye. A Delta E under 2 means most people cannot tell the colors apart. Between 2 and 4, you might notice a difference in certain lighting. Above 5, the difference is clearly visible side by side.
Honestly, Sherwin Williams does not have a perfect equivalent for Breeze. The closest option is Sea Salt (SW 6204) with a Delta E of 6.2, but at that distance the difference will be visible. Sea Salt is greener. Breeze is bluer. Both are soft, light colors but in different hue families. If getting this exact color is critical, you may want to explore custom color matching at a Sherwin Williams store.
Sherwin Williams Matches for Breeze
Sea Salt is greener. Breeze is bluer. Both are soft, light colors but in different hue families.
| Breeze | Sea Salt | |
|---|---|---|
| LRV | 65 | 63 |
| Hex | #CCD6D6 | #CDD6CC |
| Undertone | Cool Blue-Gray | Green-Gray |
| Family | Blue | Green |
Undertone Comparison
Breeze has cool blue-gray undertones. A very light, airy blue-gray. Reads as a soft, coastal blue in bright rooms and a cool neutral gray in dim rooms.
Sea Salt has green-gray undertones. A soft, muted green-gray that shifts beautifully with light. Part green, part gray, part blue depending on the moment. It's a chameleon.
The undertone difference is worth paying attention to. While they are close in overall appearance, the different undertones mean they may diverge in certain lighting. Breeze's cool blue-gray quality may read differently than Sea Salt's green-gray character, especially in rooms with strong directional light or colored accents that could pull out one undertone more than the other. Test a sample in your specific room before committing.
How These Colors Behave in Different Lighting
Breeze in Your Room
The blue is gentle and never overpowering. In bright south-facing rooms, it reads as a fresh blue-tinged gray. In north-facing rooms, it feels cool and serene.
Sea Salt in Your Room
In bright light, the green comes forward. In dim or north-facing rooms, it reads as a soft blue-gray. Under warm light, it can lean slightly sage. This color changes more than most with lighting.
LRV and Brightness
Breeze has an LRV of 65, while Sea Salt has an LRV of 63. These two colors reflect a very similar amount of light, so you should not notice a significant difference in room brightness when switching between them. The room will feel approximately the same in terms of light and space, which makes this a smoother transition.
Best Rooms for Breeze
Behr recommends Breeze for: bathroom, bedroom, nursery, laundry room, sunroom. With an LRV of 65, this is a light color that is in the medium-light range, reflecting enough light to keep rooms feeling open while adding more color and depth than a white or off-white. It works well in living rooms, bedrooms, and hallways where you want warmth and character without darkness.
Sea Salt is recommended for: bathroom, bedroom, laundry room, nursery, spa-like spaces. Both colors are recommended for similar applications, which confirms that this is a practical cross-brand match. You can use Sea Salt in the same rooms you planned for Breeze.
Breeze in Other Brands
Looking for Breeze equivalents in other brands besides Sherwin Williams? We have matches across all major paint brands.
Frequently Asked Questions
The closest Sherwin Williams match for Breeze (MQ3-21) is Sea Salt (SW 6204) with a Delta E of 6.2, which rates as a "approximate" match. Sea Salt is greener. Breeze is bluer. Both are soft, light colors but in different hue families. Delta E measures perceptual color distance on a scale where under 2 means nearly identical, 2 to 4 means close with subtle differences, and over 5 means clearly noticeable.
No, they are not identical. Breeze is a Behr color with cool blue-gray undertones and an LRV of 65. Sea Salt is a Sherwin Williams color with green-gray undertones and an LRV of 63. With a Delta E of 6.2, you will likely notice a difference, especially in bright or direct lighting. Paint formulations differ between brands, so even colors with similar values can look slightly different due to pigment concentration, binders, and finish.
With a Delta E of 6.2, the difference is enough that they should not be used on adjacent walls in the same room. You can use them in separate rooms of the same house, but be aware that walking from one room to the other may reveal the difference, especially if the rooms have similar lighting. For the most consistent look, pick one brand for all connected living spaces and reserve the other brand for visually separate rooms like bathrooms or bedrooms behind closed doors.
There are several practical reasons to look for a Sherwin Williams equivalent. Price differences between brands can be significant on large projects. Availability matters if your nearest paint store or home center specializes in Sherwin Williams. Some painters have strong preferences for one brand's formula based on coverage, dry time, or workability. And if you are touching up existing Sherwin Williams work, matching within the same brand gives you the best consistency for seamless results.
Match calculations use Delta E (CIE2000) computed from Lab color space conversion. Color data sourced from manufacturer specifications. Last reviewed: March 22, 2026.