How to Choose the Best Blue Paint Color for Your Home

If you’ve been trying to pick a blue paint color for your walls but can’t settle on a favorite, I bet I know why! Either your room doesn’t suit blue (which we’ll get into below), or you’re looking at the wrong type.

Blue is a popular paint color and by far, one of the most timeless shades. It’s calming, classic, coastal, country – subtle, striking, and sensual. But there’s one thing it isn’t, and that’s easy to pick. However, the more you understand it, the easier it is to choose your best shade.

Whether you love dark blue, light blue, haint blue, or ain’t really blue at all – it’s gray-blue, we’re going to hit them all, either with information or links to helpful blog posts. A lot of it comes down to the 3 main types of blue…

THE 3 TYPES OF BLUE PAINT COLORS

Blue likes to tip two ways – green or purple. So, depending on where your favorite blue sits on the color wheel, it will slide blue-green or blue-purple. Of course, there’s the third type, just good ole’ blue, but these are easily swayed by their environment and personal perception, so today, we’re focusing on blue-greens and blue-purples.

Of course, the above is the simplified version (which is my go-to), as your blue isn’t really mixing with green or purple—it’s mixing with yellow (blue + yellow = green) or red (blue + red = purple). However, in the Kylie M. Color System, it’s often easier to call it as we see it – a paint color’s natural bias.

In the bathroom photo above, do you see plain old blue, blue-green, or blue-purple? If you guessed blue-green, you’d be the winner, winner, chicken dinner! You’re looking at Benjamin Moore Ocean Air, which is a beautiful soft blue-green.

And because it’s definitely the most popular these days, let’s hit on blue-green first.

ALL ABOUT BLUE-GREEN PAINT COLORS

Whether a blue-green looks warmer or cooler than a blue-purple is a matter of perception; it’s not all about technicalities when it comes to how a color looks and feels. Generally speaking, most people find blue-greens look softer and slightly warmer than blue-purples. 

If you’re looking at a blue-green, you should see BLUE first. You might not see the green, or you might see some green mixed in. Now, if you add more and more green, you’ll start tipping those scales. Eventually, you’ll have a GREEN-blue, meaning it’s a green paint color that leans into blue (think mint or aqua).

This next front door is Sherwin Williams Connor’s Lakefront – a blue with a touch of green,Connor’s Lakefront – a blue with a touch of green – although you might not know it to look at it…

On the lighter end of things, Benjamin Moore Smoke, is a beautiful shade of blue that also winks at green (and a good dose of gray for a spa-like vibe)…

The tricky thing is that some of the most popular ‘blue-green’ paint colors are actually green paint colors – they just appear more blue in many real homes with real lighting. For example, what do you think of the color in this next kitchen…blue or green?

That is none other than the super popular, Sherwin Williams Sea Salt, a decidedly GREEN paint color based on science, but is likely to lean green-blue, or more BLUE-green in a real home with real lighting. 

Another great example is Palladian Blue, a green paint color. The funny thing is, it’s not even in the green-blue color family, meaning it could lean a touch warm (by a weeee wink). PLEEEEASE – warm? Not in my lifetime or experience…

The Best Paint Colors for a Dark Hallway

Are you not convinced yet? Here it is on my client’s exterior BEFORE completing a virtual color consultation with me – as this wasn’t good…

 

They wanted to stay in the ‘ahem’, blue-green range, but they wanted me to suggest better options for their coastal Cape Cod…so I did…

Sherwin Williams Oyster Bay is also a green paint color that can lean blue. 

Did I go down a rabbit hole there? Yup, I doooo love gettin’ dirty.

Shlong story short, when looking for your best blue-green paint color, you might also explore those with a green alter ego. 

This next photo with the rocking horse shows Benjamin Moore’s Sea Star in all its blue-green glory!

A BIT MORE ABOUT BLUE-GREEN

• If you add intensity to a blue that leans green, you get colors like teal and aqua coming out of the woodwork.
• Blue-green is a far more popular choice than blue-purple for a beach, coastal, or even modern farmhouse vibe.
• Most popular blue-greens are mixed with a solid dose of gray to calm things down.

Benjamin Moore Britannia Blue is one of my favorite blue paint colors. Looks pretty blue, right?

Believe it or not, it’s a blue-green, and I FRIGGIN’ LOVE IT, which is why I used it in our lake home (above). 

And while I could easily list some more of my favorites, I have blog posts that do a way better job of that…

• The Best Light Blue Paint Colors
• The Blue Blue-Green Paint Colors
• The Best Gray-Blue Paint Colors

Remember, this blog post isn’t about the best blue paint colors. Instead, you’re learning ABOUT blue paint colors.

 

ALL ABOUT BLUE-PURPLE PAINT COLORS

Again, whether you think blue-purple is warmer than blue-green is up to you, but it can certainly look dang cold—especially if you put it in a room it’s not meant for. That’s right: just because you want to paint a room a particular color (e.g., blue) doesn’t mean you SHOULD, and we’ll hit on that shortly.

Benjamin Moore Bachelor Blue is a gorgeous color that appears as a blue-purple…

 

 

The Best Blue Paint Colors for Cabinets

The interesting thing is that in my daily Online Paint Color Consulting, I rarely refer to blue-purple paint colors in the lighter range—they don’t suit as many rooms/styles or personal tastes. And because I only use my virtual clients’, family’s, and friends’ images on my site, I don’t have many good photos of blue-purple projects—that’s how rarely I come across them in 12,000+ consultations.

However, that doesn’t mean that it won’t suit YOUR room. In fact, most of the photos that I do have are of my own home—well, our last few homes, actually. But not this one…

Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Upward

Sherwin Williams Upward is a great example. Humor me here. I study colors using 2 systems: NCS and CIELAB.

• Based on NCS, Upward is a blue-purple.
• CIELAB suggests that it’s a blue-green (just a wink of green). That’s right, I said it – a blue…green. However, it has so little green that apparently our brains/eyes can’t register it, leaving blue clearly dominant. THIS IS ALSO WHY SCIENCE CAN BE A FRUSTRATING WAY TO FIGURE OUT HOW A COLOR MIGHT ACT IN A REAL HOME WITH REAL LIGHTING (there, my rant for the day is done). 

I trust NCS because it’s more ‘real-life’, so if you ask me, Upward is a blue-purple.

Benjamin Moore’s Steel Wool is a popular gray that appears with a blue-violet undertone. Here it is in the entryway in our old home…

In another one of our homes, I played around with the navy blue vibe of Benjamin Moore Anchor Gray, a navy blue that appears slightly blue-purple…

A BIT MORE ABOUT BLUE-PURPLE

• If you lean hard enough into the purple, you’ll get a periwinkle-type color. Lean harder, and you’ll get violet, where your blue becomes more purple with blue in it.
• Blue-purple can feel a bit more formal than a blue-green, but it can also look more romantic and feminine, especially with a decent purple mixed in.
• And don’t forget, even navy blue will have its preference for either green or purple!

Benjamin Moore’s Blue Dragon

Benjamin Moore Hale Navy is another popular blue paint color, but this time in the navy range…

Shown in a north-facing room with Benjamin Moore White Dove

Again, I could talk about the best blues, both light and dark, until the cows come home. Instead, here are some more great blog posts…

• The Best Navy Blue Paint Colors
• The Best Light Blue-Gray Paint Colors
• The Best Navy Blue Paint Colors for Islands, Cabinets, Front Doors & More! 

BLUE PAINT COLORS IN NORTH-FACING ROOMS

Here’s the deal, Ally McBeal (I’m totally dating myself, I know): Some blues in north-facing rooms are a tough sell.

Why?

Well, blue is a cold color. North-facing light is a cool gray natural light. Combine these two, and you have a damn cold-looking room! That northern light will further glorify the cool tone of your blue paint color, leaving things feeling a tit bit nipply.

In the above photo, you see…

• LEFT: Sherwin Williams Rain, a blue-green paint color
• MIDDLE: Benjamin Moore Woodlawn Blue, a green paint color (you’ll see more of it shortly)
• RIGHT: Benjamin Moore Wedgewood Gray

There are a few things that can help a blue feel more at home in rooms with cool natural light.

• Add more depth (e.g. a medium-depth or darker navy blue). What a color lacks in warmth can be greatly made up for with depth, as darker shades often feel cozier and more intimate. 
• Add more color. While gray-blues can be darn cold, removing some of the gray and picking up some green on the way helps a lot. 

Here’s Anchor Gray again in our last home (blue-purple), which was extremely north-facing with a wee dash of eastern light (and colder than Tim’s ex-girlfriend’s heart).

And you might be thinking, ‘Ummm, Kylie, you’re telling me that north-facing rooms don’t always suit a blue-purple, yet YOU PAINTED A NORTH-FACING ROOM BLUE-PURPLE!’ True. The funny thing is that I’m generally not a fan of blue-purple. However, when painting a room, it’s not always about what WE want; it’s also about what the room wants, and that fireplace had demands.

There’s also Benjamin Moore Woodlawn, a super popular paint color…but is it really blue?

 

Wham bam, no ma’am, Benjamin Moore Woodlawn Blue is a green paint color that has some blue in its bones.

Remember, your room’s natural light, interior lighting, surrounding finishes (and more) will affect how a paint color appears, regardless of its inherent bias (roots). 

Use texture and warm-colored accents to add warmth to a north-facing, painted blue room.

 

 

 

The Best Paint Colors for a North-Facing Room

BLUE PAINT COLORS IN SOUTH-FACING ROOMS (WEST, TOO)

South-facing rooms are well-suited to blue, any type! Southern natural light can appear super warm, and you might even find that a well-chosen blue helps balance out the visual heat (same with west-facing rooms in the afternoon). 

Sherwin Williams Rainwashed is a stunning blue-green that tends to appear pretty well-balanced between the two hues…

So, what do you think? Do you officially have the blues?

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For any lingering questions or quandaries…

WHAT’S THE BEST LIGHT BLUE PAINT COLOR?

The best light blue is subject to personal opinion, but one of the most POPULAR light blue paint colors are Sherwin Williams Rainwashed and Tradewind. Note that they’re both blue-GREENS, not blue-purples. 

WHAT’S THE BEST DARK BLUE PAINT COLOR?

Oh, by a long shot, Benjamin Moore Hale Navy is the most popular dark, navy blue paint color. But just because a color is POPULAR doesn’t mean it’s the best shade for your home. Sample and compare a range before slappin’ any paint your walls or cabinets. 

ARE BLUE PAINT COLOR STILL IN STYLE?

Fun fact – blue paint colors rarely go OUT of style, as they’re one of the most classic, timeless shades. However, the ‘type’ of blue that’s currently trendy varies as trends come and go. Generally speaking, so long as your room suits blue, it’s a pretty safe choice. 

SUMMARY OF BLUE PAINT COLORS

• Blue tends to lean blue-green or blue-purple
• Many green paint colors appear green-blue or blue-green in real home lighting
• Blue-green is more popular in the light to medium range
• Blue-purple is more popular in the darker end
• North-facing rooms often suit blue-greens more than blue-purples
• South-facing rooms or those with afternoon western sunshine suit almost any shade of blue

READ MORE

 

 

 

The Best Blue & Green Paint Colors for Bedrooms

 LIght Green Paint Colors

Get your best blue paint colors with Kylie M’s Online Paint Color Consulting – I can help! 

 

Updated with new content and images for 2026