The 8 Best Blue Paint Colors: Readers’ Favorites!

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,