13 of the best blue paints for your home

Traditionally, blue has represented trust, peace, and loyalty. But when it comes to interiors, blue can bring both drama and flexibility to a room. Designers across the country have turned to deep blues for a statement color that goes well with almost anything else.

Aesthetics aside, color consultant Shannon Kaye thinks that blue still has those comforting connotations. “Deep, reassuring blues give us a place to feel safe and reconnect with our loved ones in our homes,” she says.

We asked designers to weigh in with their picks for the best dark blue paints.

Nightspot, C2

Interior designer Jon de la Cruz says he has a handful of tried and true colors and considers this inky shade to be one of them. “The C2 color range has a contemporary freshness to it, and they are my go-to when I am looking for a pop,” he says.

Justin Levesque

Steep Cliff Gray, Benjamin Moore

This deep blue-gray acts as a moody neutral in a dining room created by Tyler Karu of Landing Design. “It's not jarring but it has intense depth,” she says. “It's a dining room, thus not a room in which we spend an extraordinary amount of time. For dinners and gathering it provides a sense of warmth and comfort. The color is the star of the show, so the rest of the room is spare.”

Hale Navy, Benjamin Moore

A number of the designers we asked, including de la Cruz, named this classic maritime color as a favorite.

Navy Damask, Kelly-Moore

Kaye cites this navy color as one of her current favorites. “It’s dark enough to be timeless and elegant and crisp enough for fresh and youthful interiors,” she says.

Philipsburg Blue, Benjamin Moore

Shannon Kaye painted a mural on the backdrop of this blue shade for a client’s bedroom in order to “create a soothing, restful accent wall that's perfect for late reading at night and sleeping in.”

Colin Price

Old Navy, Benjamin Moore

Interior designer Noz Nozawa’s personal bedroom is a little larger than she likes, so she chose a color to make it feel more den-like. “My favorite bedrooms to sleep in are cozy, and the navy walls make the corners fade away so you don't notice the room's size,” she says. “Another reason I love dark walls in a bedroom is that white sheets look extra crisp and clean.” (Curbed San Francisco profiled the entire home earlier this year.)

Academy Blue, Pratt & Lambert

“In general, I like dark blue because it's rich, calming, and is a great complement to natural or organic tones—wood, rattan, bamboo—which I also like to incorporate into my interiors,” says interior designer Taylor Jacobson. “We painted this den a deep blue to create a cozy, library-like vibe in the room.”

Amy Bartlam

Hague Blue, Farrow & Ball

In the same house, Jacobson used another rich blue for cabinetry. “We picked up a shade of blue in the paper to highlight this bar,” she says.

Courtesy Erin Williamson

Dark Harbor, Benjamin Moore

For this small living area, interior design Erin Williamson was looking for a blue that wasn’t too, well...blue. “Blue is a relaxing color, but I like it best when it has hints of green that keep it from being too cold,” she says. “Dark Harbor is a riff off an old school navy, which felt perfectly suited for a traditional with a twist sitting room.”

The color also solved some design problems. “This is a tiny room off a foyer, and it needed a purpose,” Williamson says. “Using a saturated color turned it into a destination, and the darkness allows the corners to fall away. It feels like you're enveloped in a velvety jewel box.”

Gentlemen’s Gray, Benjamin Moore

Interior designer Lisa Bakamis turns to this blue-gray color for drama. “Dark blue, and Benjamin Moore’s Gentlemen's Gray in particular, is a gorgeous way to create a moody space without defaulting to the traditional charcoal or black tones,” she says. “It's a rich navy color, but it also has a subtle hint of jewel tone to it, which creates interest and liveliness within your room."

Hidden Sapphire, Benjamin Moore

The name of this color speaks of mystery and treasure, and interior designer Paige Loczi chose it for a client whose interior goals included “daring and surprise.” It’s a highly pigmented background for a statement light fixture. “I love this color,” says Loczi.

Blue Note, Benjamin Moore

When it came time to paint the exterior of her office, interior designer Emily Mughannam chose this blue-gray shade. However, she says she’s just as likely to use it inside. “It’s deep and dramatic, yet very sophisticated. It sometimes looks black,” she says. “It’s a very cool color I hope will feel timeless.”

Drew Kelly

In the Midnight Hour, Benjamin Moore

Interior designer Tineke Triggs put warm accents in front of a deep blue wall in a dining room. "It’s such a beautiful statement color that is both bold and elegant,” she says. “By selecting the right textures and lighting to compliment it, you can create a truly stunning space."