My Favorite 8 Sherwin-Williams Dark Blue & Navy Paint Colors

Naval SW 6244

Let’s jump right in with Naval, the all-star of the year according to Sherwin-Williams. I’m not arguing with it! Naval has been my go-to navy since I picked a different dark blue/navy that turned out way too bright. After that, I trusted Naval as my first pick if a navy paint color was in order. I even recommended that my mom paint her headboard wall in Naval and it turned out beautiful! Check out my in depth review on Naval here.

Places to use Naval

Naval is a very dark color with LFV (light reflected value) or 4. Eek! Not much light reflecting off this baby. I am all for the deeper, moody colors right now, but I can’t help my love for crisp, light and bright. I tend to limit Naval to an accent wall or paired with some wall trim to lighten it up a bit. That is not to say that you can’t paint an entry in Naval or go all out in a half-bath! I just love the contrast of the dark and light colors against each other in a room like in the inspiration picture below by Sherwin-Williams.

Entry walls in Naval from Earnest Home Co.

A few other places to add Naval are accent walls, particularly in rooms with super tall ceilings, cabinets (lower, island or all!!) and front doors. Go all out with this special COTY from Sherwin-Williams. You won’t regret it!

Charcoal Blue SW 2739

Charcoal Blue was no-brainer as a contender for my top dark blue/navy paint colors. I reviewed Charcoal Blue last year, but this dark blue is still a hot color for this year. Technically, I classify Charcoal Blue as a navy, but it is softer than a typically saturated navy color. There is more gray to Charcoal Blue, which makes it a tiny bit more subtle, hence the LRV of 6 (compared to a 4 for Naval).

Places to Use Charcoal Blue

Places where you would like to add some drama or interest are good places to use Charcoal Blue. Consider Charcoal Blue if you want a navy blue color, but would like to soften it up a bit. I absolutely adore this mid-century living room paneling painted in Charcoal Blue. It’s a risk to paint an entire room in a darker color, but I love how the lighter wood and tan leather help to soften up the look and create contrast.

Charcoal Blue in living room by Woodhouse Design

Other places I have seen Charcoal Blue make an appearance? Built-ins, fireplace accent walls and bathrooms. Don’t forget to check out my Color Review on Charcoal Blue for color palettes and more inspirational pictures!

Indigo Batik SW 7602

Now we are getting into more of the dark blues versus the navy colors. One of my top dark blues is Indigo Batik. This beauty isn’t found where darker navy colors are located in the Sherwin-Williams paint deck. It is the darkest shade on the 224 paint swatch including some nice blues such as Upward, Aleutian and Distance. Indigo Batik is less saturated than both Naval and Charcoal Blue with an LRV of 8.

Places to use Indigo Batik

One trend I am loving lately are cabinets painted in a dark blue or navy color. A good friend of mine just renovated her home to include lower cabinets in dark blue and uppers in white. All the heart eyes! Indigo Batik works well on cabinetry as a dark blue that doesn’t get too bright or too muddy. It’s just right as a color that catches your eye without blinding them!

Indigo Batik on Lower Kitchen Cabinets by Donatelli Builders. Picture by Picture Perfect House.

Not only does Indigo Batik shine on cabinets, I love it for accent walls, front door colors and bathrooms. If you are looking for a navy that is a little less dark and has a touch of brightness, this is your color!

Sea Serpent SW 7615

A top seller for our peel and stick paint samples lately is Sea Serpent. I honestly have not specified Sea Serpent much if not ever, but it is quickly catching my attention. One color that I do specify often is Gibraltar, which is one shade lighter than Sea Serpent. Sea Serpent has a bit more of a gray undertone compared with Indigo Batik which I like for bigger areas.

Places to Use Sea Serpent

One of many places to use Sea Serpent is as an accent wall for a unique entry. Notice our theme of contrast in the majority of the inspiration pictures with these darker blues. Since navy and dark blue can be a bit moody, it helps to warm it up with lighter wood tones or even the use of a soft hand-painted patterned wall above it. Loving this look!

Sea Serpent in Entry by Mindfully Gray blog

I am also loving Sea Serpent used for office built-ins, kitchen islands and bedroom accent walls. Remember that you can use Gibraltar if you want to go a tiny bit lighter.

Outerspace SW 6251

Outerspace lives up to its name as a deep blue sky color or better known as a darker blue-gray. It is definitely lighter than a true navy color since it has the gray undertone to lessen the brightness and depth of color. Outerspace is one shade darker than Granite Peak, which is a color that I have specified multiple times for my client’s as an accent wall. Even though Outerspace has an LRV of 12, it can be used in several different places in the home.

Places to Use Outerspace

I have a track record of not being a huge fan of darker colors on all walls in a room, however, I am IN LOVE with this inspiration picture featuring Outerspace on all walls in this home office. Adequate lighting, lighter wood furniture, a soft rug, white patterned drapes and white framed artwork keep the space from feeling dark and cavelike.

Outerspace in Home Office from MW Designs blog

Outerspace would also work well as accent color for a fireplace wall or in a laundry room as a fun pop of color. I also like the idea of using this in a boy’s bedroom to create a real life “space” feel.

Cyberspace SW 7076

Cyberspace is similar to Outerspace as far as undertones go, yet it is a bit more saturated. In fact, it has an LRV of 6, just like Charcoal Blue. Cyberspace is categorized as a dark blue-gray and not a navy despite the deeper tone. There is a smidge more gray to it than Outerspace and Indigo Batik, but definitely still has the blue undertone present. For reference, one shade lighter than Cyberspace is Web Gray, a blue-gray that I like to specify for bedroom accent walls.

Places to Use Cyberspace

Cyberspace is gorgeous in this brightly lit, farmhouse style dining room with a traditional twist. The white trim is fantastic next to Cyberspace and brings out this dark blue-gray color even more. Again, lighter wood tones in the furniture and soft blues and white in the accent pieces keep the wall colors as the deepest color in the room.

Cyberspace in dining room by Thrifty Decor Chick

Other places that I have spotted this lovely hue are bathroom cabinets, fireplace accent walls and moody master bedrooms. Remember, pairing these darker blues with lighter colors and varying textures of warmer tones help them from taking over the room’s “visual space.”

Grays Harbor/Dark Night

Last but certainly not least, is Grays Harbor. I am actually leaning towards painting my powder bathroom in this moody blue-gray. It is between Grays Harbor and Granite Peak. I’ll keep you posted with a post (ha!) when I pull out my paint brush (or roller) and get going. Grays Harbor is similar to Outerspace but is a bit lighter and has less of the indigo undertone and more of a true blue undertone. I recommend this color for my Color Consultation clients all of the time for various places in the home. 

Dark Night is one shade darker than Grays Harbor and is super close to being almost navy. I selected this color for the back of some bookshelves in one of my interior projects awhile back and it turned out amazing!

Places to Use Grays Harbor/Dark Night

I had the honor of selecting paint colors for a commercial project for one of my clients recently. The project was a lounge with a super cool vibe that needed an updated color scheme and a fresh coat of paint. For the main walls, I chose Gray Matters, a medium toned gray-blue with a touch of a green undertone. I loved how it turned out against the Alabaster brick wall and the rustic metal accents. Grays Harbor stole the show as the accent wall in the back of the seating area right next to a light wood paneled wall. So lovely. Now can you see why I want it in my powder bathroom? 

Grays Harbor in the Alley Cat Lounge

Grays Harbor is a dark blue that I specify a ton with my clients. Places I like to use it are on kitchen islands, built-ins, accent walls in any room, dining rooms and bathrooms. The sky’s the limit with this one in my opinion!