Benjamin Moore Blue Nova: Undertones, Best Uses, & Real Homes

If you’re looking for an inspiring shade of blue (ahem, purple), Benjamin Moore’s got you covered. While Blue Nova was a bit of a surprise guest at 2024’s Color of the Year awards, it was met with enthusiasm. 

However, does this color still work for the average home? Might you still use it on your walls, cabinets, or front door? Let’s find out! 

 

WHAT TYPE OF COLOR IS BLUE NOVA?

Blue Nova is a rich, striking shade of…PURPLE. That’s right, it’s purple but a shade with a more classic appeal that’s to a heavy dose of blue. It’s not dark enough to be a navy or royal blue (thanks to its LRV) but has enough vavavoom to add interest to almost any paintable surface (which we’ll talk about shortly). 

However, just because a color says it’s a certain thing doesn’t mean it looks that way to you. If you ask me, Blue Nova is a shade of blue with a ton of purple in it, but I see the blue before the purple. How does it look to you?

And because blue is NEVER just blue and purple is never just purple, Blue Nova has undertones that must be considered before slapping it on any walls, cabinets, or doors. How does it look to you – BLUE-purple or PURPLE-blue. Either way, this color is no wilting violet; it shows up to the party with tassels on. 

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WHAT’S BLUE NOVA’S LRV?

Blue Nova is an alluring mid-tone shade of purple-blue paint color, which we know because of its LRV of 16.98. Some colors in this range can fall flat and dull if you have a dark room. Thanks to the degree of color (chroma) in Blue Nova, it shows up like a vision in a dark room, bringing energy and personality. I love Blue Nova so much that I have it on the accent wall in my guest bedroom at the lake house (darkened by 25%). The little bit of side wall you can see is Benjamin Moore White Dove…

This reasonably dark room is on the bottom floor, underneath the upper deck, yet it still comes to LIFE with Blue Nova! 

Blue Nova will hold its depth quite well in a well-lit space. Of course, any color will look lighter and brighter with light, but with this darker LRV, Blue Nova doesn’t fade away. 

Not sure what LRV is? It could save your paint-lovin’ life – read all about it HERE.

How to Make a Dark Room Look Brighter – and it ain’t with paint! 

The Best Paint NUMBER for Your Home – 62

Paint sampling just got WAY easier…

Get your Samplize PEEL & STICK SAMPLE HERE!

 

WHAT WHITE TRIM COLOR GOES WITH BLUE NOVA?

Thanks to its depth and chroma, Blue Nova is super flexible with various shades of white. Here are a few of my faves…

• Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace
• Benjamin Moore Simply White
• Benjamin Moore White Dove

Before being the guest bedroom (shown earlier), our downstairs room lived life as a temporary bunk bed room…

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IS BLUE NOVA A GOOD COLOR FOR THE EXTERIOR OF A HOME?

I’m not going to say no, but when it comes to choosing your home’s best exterior color, it depends on your roof, stonework, brick, and surroundings. Many of these hard finishes don’t love a color like Blue Nova. However, Blue Nova could be STUNNING if you have only a roof to consider and crisp white trim. 

5 Tips for Choosing an Exterior Paint Color

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IS BLUE NOVA A GOOD COLOR FOR KITCHEN CABINETS?

If you want reassurance that Blue Nova is a wicked color for your kitchen island – Heck yes! As an island paint color, Blue Nova makes just the right impact.

Where I might hesitate is in an entire kitchen. Don’t get me wrong; this badass beauty is stunning. It’s just…a lot. Sometimes, you can say MORE with less, and Blue Nova is one of those colors.

The Best Blue & Green Kitchen Cabinet Paint Colors

As for built-in cabinets, Blue Nova could look awesome. Again, built-ins are a more contained surface compared to an entire kitchen. The same goes for bathroom vanities. 

Now, I don’t always have the images I need, but I wanted to show you how Blue Nova looks on kitchen cabinets. So, I whipped up a computerized rendering for you to check out. (I also offer this service in my ONLINE PAINT COLOR CABINET CONSULTS!)

Again, this is a LOT of color, and you do you, boo, but I prefer a more modest approach on an island, built-ins, or bathroom vanity.

How to Choose the Best White Paint Color for Your Kitchen Cabinets

The Best Paint Colors for Kitchen Island & Bathroom Vanities

Here’s Benjamin Moore’s gorgeous image for it on built-ins in a home office – MAD LOVE…

WHERE CAN YOU USE A COLOR LIKE BLUE NOVA?

This is what I love about Blue Nova – it’s not a one-trick pony; it has a great depth of color for a wide variety of surfaces, including…

• kitchen island


• kitchen cabinets (full kitchen)


• bathroom vanity


• interior of the front door (or a main secondary door)


• exterior of the front door 


• accent wall in a luxurious matte finish (I love Aura paint)


• entire room


• exterior


• painted furniture (satin or pearl finish)

I don’t see Blue Nova gaining as much traction in a large living room or open-concept space. Being a more powerful color, it’s better on a smaller scale. However, not small AND dark like some hallways.  

WHAT COLORS ARE SIMILAR TO BLUE NOVA?

Of course, nothing compares, but colors with similar intentions include…

• Benjamin Moore Blue Heron, which is a bit less blue/more gray
• Benjamin Moore Yin Yang, which is like a lighter version of Blue Nova
• Sherwin Williams Luxe Blue, which is a bit darker and can look sliiiightly more blue-violet
• Sherwin Williams Denim, which is a bit darker and bluer than Blue Nova (and darn pretty, too)

 

WHICH PAINT COLORS GO WITH BLUE NOVA?

Blue Nova has a reasonable range of color pairings. For the average home, a color palette including Blue Nova will have colors similar in chroma and mood and lighter, more gentle shades. However, it’s not as suited to earth tones, so any attempt at neutral should have some good life to it…

NEUTRAL & CALM SHADES THAT GO WITH BLUE NOVA

• Benjamin Moore White Dove
• Misty Blue, a light version of Blue Nova
• Benjamin Moore Mayonnaise, a white-cream blend
• Benjamin Moore Windham Cream, a fusion of cream and yellow
• Benjamin Moore Bunny Gray, a slightly fresh gray with a blue hue (blue-violet)

MORE COLORFUL SHADES THAT GO WITH BLUE NOVA IN A PALETTE

• Benjamin Moore Willow Grove, a green that meets head-to-head with Blue Nova
• Benjamin Moore Forest Valley Green is a softer approach to a more colorful shade of green (green-blue)
• Crimson for a splash of muted red-orange
• Benjamin Moore Stunning is a darker shade of Blue Nova
• Sweet Vibrations, a fun shade of chartreuse

READ MORE

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Benjamin Moore’s 8 Best Warm Gray Paint Colors 

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