Tidal Salt → Valspar
The closest Valspar matches for Sherwin Williams Tidal Salt (SW 9162), ranked by perceptual color distance.
Finding a Valspar Equivalent for Tidal Salt
If you love Sherwin Williams Tidal Salt but need a Valspar 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 Valspar, your local store does not carry Sherwin Williams, or you simply want to compare prices across brands before committing.
Tidal Salt (SW 9162) is a light blue with soft blue-green undertones. A very light blue-green gray. Coastal and airy. To find a good Valspar match, we need a color that captures not just the right depth (LRV 66) but also that specific undertone character. That is where Delta E color science comes in.
We calculated the perceptual color distance between Tidal Salt and every Valspar 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.
The good news: there is a strong Valspar match for Tidal Salt. Gentle Wave (VR091D) comes in with a Delta E of 2.2, which puts it in the "excellent match" range. Gentle Wave is the closest Valspar option at LRV 65. Very close match.
Valspar Matches for Tidal Salt
Gentle Wave is the closest Valspar option at LRV 65. Very close match.
| Tidal Salt | Gentle Wave | |
|---|---|---|
| LRV | 66 | 65 |
| Hex | #D2D9D6 | #CED7D6 |
| Undertone | Soft Blue-Green | Soft Blue-Gray |
| Family | Blue | Blue |
Undertone Comparison
Tidal Salt has soft blue-green undertones. A very light blue-green gray. Coastal and airy.
Gentle Wave has soft blue-gray undertones. A soft, airy blue-gray with a coastal quality. Like looking at the ocean on a calm day. Lighter and bluer than Beach House, less green than Sea Salt. A popular bathroom and bedroom color.
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. Tidal Salt's soft blue-green quality may read differently than Gentle Wave's soft blue-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
Tidal Salt in Your Room
Shifts between blue and green. Very light and calming.
Gentle Wave in Your Room
The blue is gentle and always present. In cool north-facing rooms, it reads as a definite blue-gray. In warm south-facing rooms, it softens into a cool neutral. Always calming.
LRV and Brightness
Tidal Salt has an LRV of 66, while Gentle Wave has an LRV of 65. 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 Tidal Salt
Sherwin Williams recommends Tidal Salt for: bathroom, bedroom, nursery, hallway. With an LRV of 66, 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.
Gentle Wave is recommended for: bathroom, bedroom, nursery, laundry room, hallway. Both colors are recommended for similar applications, which confirms that this is a practical cross-brand match. You can use Gentle Wave in the same rooms you planned for Tidal Salt.
Tidal Salt in Other Brands
Looking for Tidal Salt equivalents in other brands besides Valspar? We have matches across all major paint brands.
Frequently Asked Questions
The closest Valspar match for Tidal Salt (SW 9162) is Gentle Wave (VR091D) with a Delta E of 2.2, which rates as a "excellent match" match. Gentle Wave is the closest Valspar option at LRV 65. Very close match. 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. Tidal Salt is a Sherwin Williams color with soft blue-green undertones and an LRV of 66. Gentle Wave is a Valspar color with soft blue-gray undertones and an LRV of 65. With a Delta E of 2.2, the difference is subtle and mainly visible in direct side-by-side comparison. 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 2.2, these colors are close enough to use in separate rooms of the same house without a jarring difference. However, avoid painting them on adjacent walls in the same room, as even subtle differences become apparent at a hard edge where two paints meet. For the smoothest result, use one brand consistently within each connected space and reserve the other brand for rooms that are visually separated.
There are several practical reasons to look for a Valspar equivalent. Price differences between brands can be significant on large projects. Availability matters if your nearest paint store or home center specializes in Valspar. Some painters have strong preferences for one brand's formula based on coverage, dry time, or workability. And if you are touching up existing Valspar 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.