The Best Blue Paint Colors for Beautiful Walls You Won't Regret

Sitting coolly between acid-washed and indigo, faded denim is always in style. The color of this wear-with-anything staple now is trending in home design. And it's no wonder: The soft, understated tone is one of the most livable blues. To get that feel, team an undersaturated blue (one softened with white or gray) with lighter and darker shades to create soothing contrast.

Paint colors pictured:

• Palatial Skies 800, Benjamin Moore
• Regale Blue SW6801, Sherwin-Williams
• Roadster Blue 4006-68, Valspar
• Afton Blue 70BG 68/163, PPG
• Yacht Blue S490-4, Behr

Invoke peaceful vibes in your nest with hues inspired by blue-tone eggs. This soft shade of blue-green is Ontario-based decorator Michael Penney's signature hue. "Robin's-egg blue is a good beginner color," he says. "We see it in the sky and water all around us, so our eye is used to it." However, this pale blue can be difficult to pick from paint chips. "If you look at a real egg, it has a dash of green with the blue," Penney says. "Choose from blues that neighbor greens."

This livable hue can underscore the palette of a whole house. "Maybe it's the walls in your living room and the ceiling in your bedroom, a table in the den, and china in the dining room," Penney says.

Paint colors pictured:

• Arctic Blue GLB14, Glidden
• The Good Life B38-3, Ace Hardware (discontinued)
• Serene Sky 540C-2, Behr
• Sea Breath 5006-7A, Valspar
• Quench Blue SW6785, Sherwin-Williams

Inspired by vibrant skies and ocean waves, the appeal of these watery blues is hard to deny. The love of blue is instinctual because we see so much of it in the sky, says New York designer Elaine Griffin, who explains how to translate this beloved hue into a gorgeous blue paint color for your walls.

First, consider how much light the room receives. "A south-facing room flooded with sunlight will always look great in a rich, bold color," Elaine says. In a room with less light, opt for a pale color on walls, and save intense hues for accents.

Paint colors pictured:

• Meander Blue SW6484, Sherwin-Williams
• Tropical Surf 30BG 72/069, Glidden
• High Tide 27B7, True Value Paint
• Soar 510A-1, Behr
• Poolside B56-3, Olympic (discontinued)

Try out the bolder side of blue with aquamarine hues. Before painting your walls, designer Khristian A. Howell recommends giving aqua a test run on a piece of furniture. "It's not a sub for painting the whole wall—nothing is—but it gets your hands dirty with the color a little bit," Howell says.

"Being bold is all about balance," she says. In other words, don't use aqua on every surface in the room. A tiny dose will make an impression, especially in a room full of grays, creams, and whites.

Paint colors pictured:

• Balmy Seas 490C-3, Behr
• Corner Brook A37-1, Ace Hardware (discontinued)
• Nautical 5007-9C, Valspar
• Surfboard 25B2, True Value Paint
• Schooner A58-5, Olympic (discontinued, but Soft Schooner Green 50GG 48/194, PPG is comparable)

Soft colors aren't the only hues to impart a relaxing tone. These serene blues will also do the trick. It might seem counterintuitive to call bold blues relaxing, but "when we gaze out into deeply hued ocean waters, is that relaxing? Absolutely," says San Francisco designer Kelly Berg.

If a color makes you feel good, it will likely soothe you, too, Berg says. "Listen to your intuitive response to color. Fear can hold us back from picking the colors that feel good, but be brave!"

Paint colors pictured:

• Lyndhurst Duchess Blue 5002-5C, Valspar
• Embellished Blue 510D-4, Behr
• Adrift 26A6, True Value Paint
• Fountain Head A38-7, Ace Hardware (discontinued)
• Acapulco Cliffs B57-4, Olympic (now Acapulco Cliffs PPG1150-5, PPG)

For a blue with a flair of the dramatic, go with shades of teal. "Teal doesn't work well as a monochromatic palette," says Philippa Radon, color expert and interior designer. "It embraces other colors." To keep it fresh, Radon recommends bright accents such as crimson, citrus green, or neon yellow.

Paint colors pictured:

• Moroccan Blue 26A7, True Value Paint
• New World E8-2, Dutch Boy
• Teal Zeal B58-5, Olympic (now Teal Zeal 58GG 71/202, PPG)
• Tidewater SW6477, Sherwin-Williams
• Gypsy Teal 5010-8 R, Valspar

It's hard to beat bright white as a companion for blue. The two timeless colors look especially fresh when paired with a snappier hue, such as magenta or mustard yellow. Choose a blue that's either pale or saturated (not a middle tone) to keep the palette fresh.

Suggested paint color: Port Au Prince PPG1238-7, PPG Paints

Although blue is a classic, don't shy away from the hue if your style is more modern. To keep the palette simple, choose a medium blue for the major pieces, such as window treatments, upholstered furniture, or bedding, and a paler blue paint color for the walls. It's easier to match paint colors to furniture, accessories, and fabrics than the other way around because paints offer greater variety.

Suggested paint color: Blue Haze 1667, Benjamin Moore

Green-blue can quickly go candy-coated and childlike. Bring in a little maturity with a stately, mid-range neutral, such as camel brown or taupe. Using a light tone as the main neutral will not have the same effect, while a dark brown or gray might drain the color of its cheeriness.

Suggested paint color: Spa SW6765, Sherwin-Williams

Warm blues are not a myth, says designer Elaine Griffin. To find one (and avoid a room that gives you the chills), "look for a blue with lots of yellow undertones," she suggests. You can determine a blue paint color's undertones by comparing the saturated side of the paint chip to other primary colors.

Suggested paint color: Clear Vista PPU13-11, Behr

If blue is your hue, go for it in an all-blue color palette. Vary the intensity of the hues, and stick to either the cool or warm side of blue for a coordinating look. Mix in a few warm accents, such as orange pillows, gold frames, or honey-hued wood furniture or floors, to create a balanced look.

Suggested paint color: Blueberry 2063-30, Benjamin Moore

Scale back the intensity of blues and stick to only one or two variations for a more serene look. When using less intense hues, it's not as important to have a contrasting counterpoint. The goal of a muted palette is to be subdued, so adding in too many opposing elements will defeat the purpose.

Suggested paint color: Winter's Breath PPG1038-3, PPG Paints

Strike a balance between structured and airy in a room layered with light blues. Spindly furniture with a dark finish, such as these aged-bronze beds, add visual weight without dragging down a watery palette. A small pop of red or pink can also help lift the palette.

Suggested paint color: Dew Pointe M450-1, Behr

Tap into the neutral side of blue with hues tinged with gray. Blue-grays are serene and subtle, making them ideal for relaxing spaces like bedrooms or baths. To prevent the color from looking washed out, pair it with a crisp, clean white.

Suggested paint color: Bracing Blue SW6242, Sherwin-Williams