Bosporus
With a focus on genuinely dark tones, Bosporus (6503) is a standout Blue in our database. It was selected for this featured gallery for its ability to anchor a room without demanding the spotlight. See it applied across 10 real world scenarios and find professional pairing data below.
Hex
#015D75
LRV
8.78
Bosporus's Color Strip
Bosporus is the seventh shade on this 7-color strip, the deepest shade in this coordinated family. As part of strip 174, these colors are curated to work together — helpful when you're deciding how light or deep to go.
Bosporus in Real Rooms
Bosporus has a low LRV of 8.78 — it absorbs light and reads as a genuinely dark, enveloping color. It's neutral in temperature and , making it adaptable across different lighting conditions and room orientations. Grouped in the Blue family, the photos below show it applied in a home office, bedroom, bathroom, front door, dining room, patio, mudroom, living room, kitchen and house.
1 Home Office Photo
Bosporus in a home office signals that the space was thought about. The color holds up under the scrutiny of video calls without feeling staged, and it stays comfortable across the full working day in a way that brighter colors often don't.
Sherwin-Williams Bosporus in a scandinavian home office
@mybudgetrecipes
1 Bedroom Photo
In the context of a primary suite, Bosporus suggests a boutique-hotel level of refinement. It creates a seamless flow between the sleeping area and the dressing room, providing a steadying influence that makes the morning routine feel more organized and serene.
A art deco bedroom painted in Bosporus
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1 Bathroom Photo
In a powder room, Bosporus can be used floor-to-ceiling to create a dramatic, high-impact experience for guests. Because these rooms are small and transitional, they can handle the full intensity of the color's personality without feeling overwhelming.
Bosporus — traditional bathroom
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1 Front Door Photo
Bosporus on a front door looks particularly stunning when framed by greenery or seasonal wreaths. The color provides a deep, matte background that makes the organic textures of a boxwood wreath or autumn garland really pop.
cottagecore front door featuring Bosporus by Sherwin-Williams
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1 Dining Room Photo
Bosporus encourages conversation. Its calm, grounded presence creates a sense of safety and comfort that allows guests to relax and stay at the table longer, which is the ultimate goal of any well-designed dining area.
Bosporus paint in a traditional dining room
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1 Patio Photo
The way Bosporus interacts with fire—whether from a fire pit or outdoor torches—is magical. It catches the orange glow and creates a warm, flickering atmosphere that is perfect for late-night outdoor entertaining.
coastal patio featuring Bosporus by Sherwin-Williams
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1 Mudroom Photo
The depth of Bosporus is a secret weapon against the "dirty" look that many light-colored mudrooms eventually suffer from. It retains its freshness and intentionality even when it's not perfectly clean, which is essential for an active family.
Bosporus paint in a coastal mudroom
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1 Living Room Photo
For open-concept living rooms, Bosporus is a powerful tool for definition. It has enough presence to signal where the living area begins without creating a harsh visual break from the rest of the house. It defines the "zone" of relaxation through color psychology and sophisticated depth.
A traditional living room painted in Bosporus
@mybudgetrecipes
1 Kitchen Photo
On kitchen walls, Bosporus adds a considered, intentional feel without demanding too much attention in a busy space. It holds its own against both warm wood countertops and cool quartz or marble, making it an incredibly flexible choice for the hardest-working and most high-traffic room in the house.
Bosporus — industrial kitchen
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1 House Photo
Exterior paint earns its keep over years, not months — it needs to handle bleaching summers, wet winters, and the slow shifts of a neighborhood's context. Bosporus has the depth and pigment quality to age gracefully through all of it.
Bosporus color — transitional house inspiration
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Expert Perspectives
In-depth articles and real-home features from across our network of home and design sites.
Coordinating Colors
At LRV 78 vs 9, Blue Horizon is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 39 vs 9, Outerbanks is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 49 vs 9, Rest Assured is decisively the brighter choice.
Trim Color
At LRV 78 vs 9, Blue Horizon is decisively the brighter choice.
Similar Colors
With LRVs of 9 and 9, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
With LRVs of 11 and 9, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
With LRVs of 9 and 9, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
With LRVs of 9 and 8, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 9 vs 9), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 10 vs 9), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Complementary Colors
At LRV 29 vs 9, Coral Reef is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 9, Lei Flower is decisively the brighter choice.
Sumptuous Peach reflects far more light (LRV 54 vs 9), opening up a space where Bosporus encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 9, Harvest Gold is decisively the brighter choice.
Raucous Orange reads slightly lighter (LRV 18 vs 9), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Lighter Colors
Intense Teal reads slightly lighter (LRV 14 vs 9), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
With LRVs of 9 and 9, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
A 6-point LRV gap (15 vs 9) makes Cote D'Azur the marginally brighter of the two.
Darker Colors
A 4-point LRV gap (9 vs 5) makes Bosporus the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV NaN vs NaN, Bosporus is decisively the brighter choice.