Looking for tried-and-true blue paint colors? I’m sharing readers’ top 8 blue paint color favorites!
Several months back I decorated the guest room in our house at NC (you can see our newly decorated space {here} if you missed it). While I’m really happy with how it turned out, I definitely feel like I need to add some color to the white walls:
Maybe some large-scale colorful art will do the trick but I’ve also considered wallpapering or painting the walls blue. I got so many helpful suggestions from you when I asked for greige paint color recommendations last year that I decided to have you all help me on the hunt for a great blue paint color too! After getting over 400 recommendations via Instagram and Facebook, I compiled them and am sharing your eight most loved blue paint colors. These are reader go-to colors that you have used, love, and would recommend to others!
Before jumping into my post, I want to acknowledge that I’m completely aware that blue paint colors are a frivolous thing in the scheme of what’s currently going on around us. I don’t take it at all for granted that I’m able to stay at home and focus on decorating while those in law enforcement, medical, and other fields are working endless hours and putting themselves at risk. Info on coronavirus is at every turn on the internet and I’m hoping that continuing to post about all things home is a nice little breather from it for all of us. I would never want you to take my continued sharing of home decor posts as me not caring or focusing on the seriousness of what’s going on around us.
So with that being said… let’s get to it. I’m sharing your favorite blues in order from darkest to lightest, using each paint color’s LRV (Light Reflectance Value) as my guide. The lower the LRV, the darker the paint color will look and feel once up on the wall. (post includes affiliate links; full disclosure statement available {here})
1. Sherwin Williams Naval (6244) LRV: 4
We’ll kick things off with a paint color that many of you have probably heard of before – you might remember from my 2020 home decorating trends post that Sherwin Williams Naval was named their 2020 paint color of the year. Turns out it’s a reader favorite too! It’s a beautiful dark navy that looks stunningly rich on walls and also gorgeous on cabinetry:
I love that while it’s the darkest of the blues on my list, it doesn’t have a gloomy feel whatsoever!
2. Benjamin Moore Gentleman’s Gray (2062-20) LRV: 5.37
Benjamin Moore’s Gentleman’s Gray is a blackened blue with just a touch of teal in it, giving it a rich feel. A beautiful example of it is Bree of ZDesign at Home’s exquisite guest room:
You can see more of Bree’s guest room and get source details on her blog {here}.
3. Benjamin Moore Hale Navy (HC-154) LRV: 6.3
Hale Navy was the #1 most recommended blue paint color from everyone who shared their favorite! It’s a gorgeous deep shade of blue that I’ve loved in every room I’ve seen it in. Sarah of Life on Virginia Street used it on the walls of her home office – I absolutely love the look of it on her beautiful wall molding:
It works so beautifully with wood tones and whites, doesn’t it?! You can check out more of Sarah’s office and get sources for everything in this space on her blog {here}.
4. Sherwin Williams Indigo Batik (7602) LRV: 8
Indigo Batik is exactly the shade of blue that you’d expect from its name – the same beautiful indigo color that you’d find with batik fabrics. It might be a little too vibrant for all four walls in a room but in smaller doses it’s definitely a winner! How spectacular is this nursery by the talented Michelle of @designed.by.belle where the front layer of painted mountains is done in Indigo Batik?!:
In case you were wondering, the other two blues she used are Sherwin-Williams Bracing Blue and Aleutian. You can see more of Michelle’s beautiful home designs on her Instagram account @designed.by.belle {here}.
5. Behr Blueprint (S470-5) LRV: 20
Blueprint was Behr’s color of the year for 2019 and the color I chose for an accent wall in my youngest daughter’s bedroom:
Scroll & Click/Tap to Shop This Space:
It’s a great medium-toned blue with a bright feel! The thing I love most about it is that it works with every color that I put next to it so we weren’t limited in choosing bedding, pillows, and other accessories – it almost functions like a neutral paint color does. You can see more of my daughter’s boho chic bedroom along with several other blue paint colors we used in her room (including the blue we used to paint her dresser) {here}.
6. Benjamin Moore Van Courtland Blue (HC-145) LRV: 30.42
Van Courtland Blue is described by Benjamin Moore as a decorative Old World blue that works equally well in more contemporary spaces. Looking at it on the color strip, it definitely has a more traditional vibe and I don’t personally know if I’d paint all four walls of a room this color but wow – it looks amazing on the cabinetry in this laundry room designed by Stephanie Gamble:
Fabulous, right?! To see more of Stephanie’s beautiful designs, you can find her on Instagram {here}.
7. Benjamin Moore Smoke (2122-40) LRV: 56.49
Benjamin Moore Smoke is one of the two blues that wasn’t on my radar for great blue paint colors until after some of you recommended it. After seeing it in use, I am in LOVE! You can see it in action on the cabinetry in Jillian Harris’ amazing laundry room:
It’s definitely a color I’d love to try in my home – maybe on my girls’ bathroom vanity?! You can find more pics and details of this beautiful laundry room on Jillian’s blog {here}.
8. Benjamin Moore Palladian Blue (HC-144) LRV: 61.17
Palladian Blue has been on my must-try-some-day list for front door colors – it’s a gorgeous soft greenish blue (BM calls it a blue but my eye sees more green than blue!). Laura of Laura Murphy Interiors painted the front door of her beautiful home with Palladian Blue and I couldn’t love it more:
Follow Laura on Instagram @meadowhaus_design {here} to see more of her modern farmhouse – it’s so beautiful inside and out!
And that wraps up our top 8 list! If you want to be sure to easily find this post again when you’re looking for a great blue paint color down the road, be sure to pin the image below:
As a reminder, the same paint color in your home won’t necessarily look exactly like it does in someone else’s home. Get samples of a few favorites and paint them on poster board or use Samplize peel and stick paint samples to see how they look in the room that you’ll be painting. The amount of light, the direction your room faces, and the furnishings in the room can all have a big impact on how a paint color looks and it’s best to find that out by sampling your paint color instead of realizing it once you’ve painting an entire room.
Do you have a favorite from my list of 8 or is your favorite one that didn’t appear in my post? I’d love to hear! If you enjoyed this post and want to get details on other tried and true paint colors, these are two great posts to check out:
The 10 Best Greige Paint Colors: Readers’ Favorites
The Best White Paint Colors: My Tried & True Favorites
Thanks everyone – hope you and your family stay healthy and safe!
XOXO,
I loved this post and probably, like many of us, I needed a break from the doom and gloom. Color is a happy subject. Now back to my oil painting. Mixing colors and putting them on canvas is a wonderful way to pass the time. So is painting a wall or a piece of furniture for that matter.
What a wonderful hobby to have – especially right now when we are all spending so much time at home!
Kris,
I know you didn’t ask for any opinions but blue is my favorite color I thought I would just say, all of these are fabulous. I lean between two different blues that you’ve shown us…the Naval and Smoke. That said, I love your style and know whatever you choose will be wonderful. I already like the room with the updates you made to the room.
I hope you will continue to post because its such a happy diversion during the hours spent at home right now. 🙂
Karen
Thanks so much Karen! And I hope all is well with you! XO
Thank you for your post, I appreciate it on so many levels.
1. Needed a distraction from our world news (hard to find a balance of keeping educated and up to date and then forcing myself to turn off the tv and radio
2. I too think about the nurses, doctors, pharmacist, ambulance drivers, grocery employees, every fellow human doing their part, risking their lives on our behalf
3. I don’t know how/why I changed my views on blue about 3 years ago. I loved blue but never for my house. Now I’m thinking on painting our piano room a dark rich blue. Thanks.
Btw a lot of people are now sharing funny videos or jokes on different social media’s. They are not meaning disrespect to the worlds situation, they are trying to bring a smile in a scary time. I did my first aloud laugh yesterday in weeks. Laughter feels good and is good for us. May you all have a least one good laugh a day. Again, thank you Kris for your post,.
I’m so glad that this was a welcome distraction! I too have such a hard time keeping the right balance of staying on top of the news vs. hearing too much doom and gloom for one day. Laughter and other distractions are definitely welcome in our house too right now. 🙂
Please don’t feel that you must explain or excuse your choice for your blog. I find this a rest for my mind instead of watching all the reports on the current situation. Blue is and always has been my favorite color and I loved seeing all these choices. I have painted some of my furniture with blue paint and they blend well with the other furniture that is wood, mostly oak, which I still love. I can’t identify the color for you as I had it mixed for me. Be safe…
That’s one of the things I love about blues too – they’re almost like a neutral and seem to go with everything! So glad you enjoyed the post. XO
Dear Kris,
Thank you for all the info on the various shades of blue. (I knew I liked your design style since I saw the beautiful wall in your dining room with the gorgeous plates. That was some time ago and I’ve been following your journey ever since.) Now
I’m thinking of painting my TV room a dark shade of blue and your list was a wonderful starting point for me . I know one of the colors will be just right for me. 🙂
Judy
You really have been following a long time – my plate walls was ages ago 🙂 I’m glad you found the post helpful – let us know what color you choose and how you like it!
I think a pale blue like Smoke would be beautiful. Also the Cortland is pretty as well. I love dark walls for a bedroom because they make a room feel cozy, but for a guest room I like the softer shades. 😊
And I appreciated your post. It was a welcome change from all the doom and gloom. Thank you!
I tend to like softer shades for guest rooms too – not sure why that is! I’m so glad you enjoyed the post and hope you and your family are well. XO
Love blues and have a particular love for BM’s Hale Navy. In our last house I used it on the front door and in our newly renovated home for our guest bathroom vanity. BM’s Smoke is gorgeous too … I wish I’d been aware of it before we finalized our color palette. Oh well, a new color to help launch a new project! I’m glad for your posts during this time of challenge … it’s a wonderful way to look ahead toward better days. xo
I feel I may have missed a post. You are writing so many interesting posts about what is happening at your wonderful new house in North Carolina. When sheltering-in-place began and schools shut down did your family decide to take the opportunity to spend that time in North Carolina rather than Connecticut? What a perfect time to accomplish so many projects.
Yes! We were actually down in NC on a planned trip when everything turned south and my husband’s office and the girls’ schools shut down so we have just stayed down here since coronavirus was so much worse back in CT. It’s been so nice to be down here with the beautiful spring weather and close to my parents.