Apollo Blue
What Apollo Blue Actually Looks Like
Apollo Blue reads as a cool, dusty slate with equal parts blue and green pulling through its base. It sits in that quiet middle ground between a true teal and a soft gray, landing closer to the aged, chalky tones you associate with colonial-era interiors. The low LRV means it absorbs light rather than bouncing it back, so it presents as a genuinely deep, moody color on the wall rather than a pale accent.
Apollo Blue Undertones
The hex and RGB values point to a near-equal balance of blue and green with a gray modifier sitting on top of both. That gray keeps it from leaning too teal in bright light. In warm incandescent light the gray can soften toward a quiet sage. In cool north-facing or overcast light it may read closer to a flat slate blue. There is no significant red or yellow component, so it stays reliably cool in almost any condition.
Where Apollo Blue Works Best
Because the CW-645 code places Apollo Blue in the Colonial Williamsburg collection, it is calibrated for period-appropriate interior applications. Rooms where you want a composed, historically grounded atmosphere suit it well. Think studies, dining rooms, and entry halls where you want color to set a tone without competing with furnishings. It can also work on exterior shutters or a front door in a context where you want a refined, restrained accent against a lighter body color.
Where to put Apollo Blue
The depth of Apollo Blue creates the kind of enveloping quality that makes a dining room feel intentional and settled. Candlelight and warm bulbs will pull out the softer gray-green side of the color, making the space feel intimate at dinner without being oppressive during the day.
A low-LRV cool-toned color like this encourages focus and keeps visual noise low. Pair it with warm wood shelving and brass accents and the room feels layered rather than cold.
Apollo Blue makes a confident first impression without announcing itself loudly. In an entry with trim in a clean warm white, the contrast is crisp and the overall effect is composed and welcoming.
Against a light body color, this shade functions as a sophisticated accent. It nods to traditional coastal and colonial palettes without reading as a trendy teal.
What to Pair With Apollo Blue
No specific Benjamin Moore coordinating colors are assigned to Apollo Blue in our current database. As a general pairing guide, it works well alongside warm off-whites and creamy linens, aged brass or unlacquered bronze hardware, natural wood tones in the medium-to-dark range, and textiles in rust, ochre, or soft terracotta. Those warm accents counterbalance the coolness of the color without fighting it.
Colors that clash with Apollo Blue
Pairing Apollo Blue with stark cool whites on trim, cool gray flooring, and gray-toned metals at the same time strips all warmth from the room and the color reads flat and institutional.
At LRV 23.7 this color is genuinely dark. In a small windowless room or a north-facing bathroom with one overhead fixture, it can make the space feel closed in rather than dramatic.
Very orange or red-toned wood finishes, like certain cherry or reddish-stained oak floors, can clash with the cool blue-green base and make both elements look off.
Common questions
Apollo Blue carries the code CW-645 in the Benjamin Moore Colonial Williamsburg collection. The precise LRV is 23.7, which confirms it as a genuinely dark color. The hex and RGB values render in the color spec block on this page.
Yes, it is available in both interior and exterior formulas, which makes it workable for shutters, doors, and interior rooms alike.
In most daylight conditions it sits right at the border, presenting as a grayed blue-green without strongly favoring either direction. Warm light nudges it toward green-gray. Cool north light nudges it toward blue-gray. Neither shift is dramatic.
A warm white or soft linen tone on trim gives the most grounded, historically appropriate result. A stark bright white trim works but creates sharper contrast and a crisper, more contemporary feel.