What does blue paint do to a room?

Blue is a versatile color and can evoke tranquility and calm. Here are the best blue paint colors to create the perfect mood in your bedroom.

Serene. Peaceful. Tranquil. Missoula Blue from Dutch Boy invokes a feeling of calmness and clarity, making it a wonderful color for the bedroom. A hint of gray keeps it from being bright, but it's close to a pure blue, and so works well with most other colors, and decorating styles from casual to formal.

Serene. Peaceful. Tranquil. Missoula Blue from Dutch Boy invokes a feeling of calmness and clarity, making it a wonderful color for the bedroom. A hint of gray keeps it from being bright, but it's close to a pure blue, and so works well with most other colors, and decorating styles from casual to formal.

There's a reason why a blue is always in style: Depending on the shade, it can come off as evocative and moody, serene and calming, or bold and energetic. Plus, it pairs beautifully with a wide array of other colors (including wood tones and metallics). Since, considering the breadth of options, choosing the right blue paint can be a daunting task, we've put together a list of designers' favorite tried-and-true blue colors—from the palest powder blue to deep, glistening navy. Think of finding the right blue paint like searching for a pair of blue jeans that fit like a glove: Whether your decor is uber-traditional or super-modern, there's a perfect blue for you out there!

Water's Edge by Benjamin Moore

Icy blues bring clear skies indoors. “For a client’s library that opens to a garden and pool, we chose this beautiful blue-gray to give the illusion of bringing the outside in," says designer Paloma Contreras, who matched Water's Edge by Benjamin Moore to a high-gloss lacquer for a mirror-like finish.

BUY NOW Benjamin Moore Water's Edge 1635, $49

Borrowed Light by Farrow & Ball

"There's a kind of clarity in the air after a rain, and this color has the same feeling," says designer Katie Maine. She adds: "It suddenly makes the ceiling of a room seem taller, and the space somehow becomes larger. It totally changes the room's energy and makes you feel like you can finally take a big, deep breath!"

BUY NOWFarrow & Ball Borrowed Light No. 235, $130

Smoke Ring by Pratt & Lambert

"This icy blue has a cool crispness that's refreshing," says designer Robert Stilin. "I'd add fabrics in different tones of the same shade, like navy and slate, to create a layered, monochromatic look." Or, as Stilin recommends, you can bring in contrasting colors like brown and red to add warmth and coziness.

BUY NOW Pratt & Lambert Smoke Ring, $97

Oval Room Blue by Farrow & Ball

Painting an office? Try a gray-blue. "Studies have shown that blue helps your ability to focus," explains Sheila Bridges, who used Farrow & Ball's Oval Room Blue for this room. "This particular shade has a little gray in it, and that makes it even more soothing."

BUY NOW Farrow & Ball Oval Room Blue 85, $115

Early Frost Blue by Benjamin Moore

"Some people would call this pale gray, but it actually has blue and purple in it," says designer Brian Paquette. He continues: "To me, it's the color of the fog out here in Seattle. I used it in a living room with massive windows overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and at certain times of the day, you couldn't tell the difference between the sea and the sky and the walls. They were all the same color."

BUY NOW Benjamin Moore Early Frost CSP-590, $49

Blue Veil by Benjamin Moore

"This has the coolness of a long, tall drink of water on a hot day," says designer James Howard. "I use it frequently for ceilings because it's subtle. It catches your eye but doesn't yell. Or, if you want to dazzle, do it in high gloss on the walls, and the space will be electrified!"

BUY NOW Benjamin Moore Blue Veil 875, $49

Light Blue by Farrow & Ball

Designer Susan Ferrier adores this light blue shade. "When you think of the color of a lake, you have to think about trees and shadows and clouds," she explains. "It's muddled, like this gray-blue. It's not a clear jewel tone, like the ocean. The ocean, with its breaking waves, is all about energy. Lake water is more soothing. It laps at the shore. This gray-blue kind of washes over a room, and you don't see the clutter."

BUY NOW Farrow & Ball Light Blue 22, $115

Sweet Bluette by Benjamin Moore

"My favorite blue paint is Benjamin Moore 813 Sweet Bluette, says New York City designer Marie Burgos. "This color is part of the Benjamin Moore Classics, and its timeless appeal complements styles from traditional to modern and everything in between. It is such a soft color tone which brings an overall sense of relaxation and healing—perfect for a bedroom design or a nursery."

BUY NOW Benjamin Moore Sweet Bluette 813, $49

Drenched Rain by Dunn-Edwards

"This is a romantic and charming blue with soft undertones of gray," says designer Ryan Saghian. He adds: "For me, it embodies Paris in the rain—the silvery reflections on the streets, the misty sky, the coat-grabbing wind. It's a very soothing color, so I see it in either a bedroom or a breakfast room. Pair it with yellows and oranges to make the blue look even richer."

BUY NOW Dunn-Edwards Drenched Rain DE5883, $5

Jet Stream Blue by Benjamin Moore

"I used this in the study of a Manhattan apartment with panoramic views out to the Hudson River," says designer Raji Radhakrishnan. "It blurred the edges of the walls and seemed as if the sky was lulled inside to wrap the room in one fell swoop. And the blue of the sky was reflected in the river. Spike it with shades of green, inspired by the treetops and lots of white."

BUY NOWBenjamin Moore Jet Stream 814, $49

March Wind by Pratt & Lambert

Walls lacquered in Pratt & Lambert’s March Wind help brighten this north-facing room in an apartment designed by Nick Olsen.

BUY NOW Pratt & Lambert March Wind, $84

"In Turkey, the sea is so clear and so bright—a true ocean blue, like this color," says designer David Phoenix. He adds: "You see the same blue in the tiles in the Blue Mosque. It has endless depth, and that makes it very calming. I'm imagining it in a high-gloss finish in an entry or a library. After all, it's only paint. Take a risk and go for it!"

BUY NOWGlidden Caribbean Sea GLB02, $26

Dynamic Blue by Sherwin-Williams

"Dynamic Blue by Sherwin-Williams is a blue bursting with joy," says designer Courtney McLeod, who used it in her own living room. "It strikes a wonderful balance between being bold and bright but also quite livable. It is also a great backdrop for other bold colors."

BUY NOW Sherwin-Williams Dynamic Blue 6958, $115

Major Blue by Sherwin-Williams

"Certain shades of blue immediately take me away to a tropical island, and this is one of them," says designer Debbie Viola. "Even though it's a medium-bright tone, it's still calming yet vibrant enough to make me feel happy as soon as I enter the room." She suggests adding accents of tangerine and lime green to enhance the tropical flavor.

BUY NOW Sherwin-Williams Major Blue 6795, $115

Cruising by Sherwin-­Williams

In designer Vern Yip's Florida home, a kitchen with cabinetry painted in Cruising by Sherwin-Williams is the epitome of life at the beach. It offers a welcoming energy that can't be beat, especially considering the rest of the home is covered in other bright colors, patterns, and textures that give it great liveliness.

BUY NOW Sherwin-­Williams Cruising SW 6782, $115

Celestial Blue by Valspar

"I like real colors, as opposed to those that are just a hint of something," explains designer Harry Heissmann. He continues: "I love clarity, and this is a clear blue. Anything you put against it—a black bamboo bed, a bright abstract painting—will pop. And the light in the room takes on a wonderful atmospheric quality. You feel good in it."

BUY NOWValspar Celestial Blue 5003-9C, $45

Thunderbird by Benjamin Moore

"This sitting room was inspired by the ethereal blues found in Kandinsky paintings hanging in the Hermitage Museum," says Kirill Istomin of this muted turquoise hue, Thunderbird by Benjamin Moore.

BUY NOW Benjamin Moore Thunderbird 675, $49

Turquoise Tint by Valspar

"On vacation in the Caribbean islands, I was walking along a street and stopped to sit on a ledge so I could look down at the water, which was exactly this color," says designer Erinn Valencich. She continues: "And suddenly, just three feet away, all these tropical fish were swimming by in the most amazing purples, yellows, and greens. We humans can make many beautiful things, but nothing is more beautiful than what's already here in nature."

BUY NOW Valspar Turquoise Tint 5006-10B, $62

Green Blue by Farrow & Ball

"My favorite blue paint color is Farrow & Ball's Green Blue #84," says designer Chad Graci. He explains: "I love using this clear, mutable blue for its chameleon-like quality. It can feel coastal, historic, or just plain fresh when you need it to."

BUY NOW Farrow & Ball Green Blue 84, $115

Designer Ashley Izsak selected Clare Paint's Good Jeans for this entryway because it worked so well with the wallpaper she chose (Endless Summer by York Wallcoverings). "This shade of blue almost feels like a neutral because of its toned down soft qualities and works well in our open-concept space to add a little bit of drama without feeling intense," the designer gushes.

BUY NOW Clare Paint Good Jeans, $64

Antiguan Sky by Benjamin Moore

"Aqua is a calming color, which balances a fiery red-head like me and makes for a pretty room," says designer Lindsey Coral Harper. "Actually, most people look good in aqua, and when you look good, you feel more confident."

She likes to use a range of one color, so she'll add a darker teal or Prussian blue with this one. "Red or pink would punch it up and give it more pizzazz," she adds.

BUY NOWBenjamin Moore Antiguan Sky 2040-60, $49

Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball

When it comes painting to pint-sized rooms, designers often reach for a deep, dark blue, like perennial favorite Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball. "Because the library is small, it lent itself to a rich jewel-box treatment," says Jeanette Whitson of this stunning space.

BUY NOW Farrow & Ball Hague Blue No. 30, $115

Santa Monica Blue by Benjamin Moore

"This is the deep, almost Prussian blue of the ocean in the Bahamas at low tide," says designer Alessandra Branca. "When you combine it with coral-colored fabrics, it's amazing." Branca has used this color in a bedroom with blue-and-white toile. The designer recommends going for it if you live near the sea or want to constantly be reminded of it.

BUY NOW Benjamin Moore Santa Monica Blue 776, $49

Sea Serpent by Sherwin-Williams

“I love the kitchen—it suits their personality: cool and sophisticated,” says designer Melanie Millner of the Atlanta kitchen she designed for a pair of coastal bon vivants. The backsplash has a nice hint of blue in it that pairs well with the cabinetry painted in Sea Serpent by Sherwin-Williams, making the space one seriously dreamy place to cook.

BUY NOW Sherwin-Williams Sea Serpent SW 7615, $115

Pitch Blue by Farrow & Ball

"I love this color because it changes throughout the day," says designer Kelly Finley. "The pigments are so rich that sometimes it reads as if there is a little periwinkle in the blue and from another angle, it is a true dark blue." Finley notes that the color adds a ton of depth when used on furniture that most other paints can't achieve.

BUY NOW Farrow & Ball Pitch Blue No. 220, $115

Pitch Blue by Farrow & Ball

Designer Dan Barsanti is another fan of Pitch Blue. He explains: "I'm a big blue-and-white freak. It says nautical, crisp, and timeless to me. I painted my kitchen cabinets this great blue—almost a navy but with some periwinkle thrown in—and did white statuary marble on the countertops."

BUY NOWFarrow & Ball Pitch Blue No. 220, $115

Blueberry by Benjamin Moore

Designer and blogger Sanda Stojakovic used Benjamin Moore's Blueberry paint to give her Illinois library a vibrant, happy atmosphere. “Incorporating bold colors was important to me because we moved from the sunny states of California and Texas to the Midwest where there are many gloomy, cold days that really can have a negative effect on our mood,” she says.

BUY NOW Benjamin Moore Blueberry 2063-30, $49

Searching Blue by Sherwin-Williams

"This painterly blue proves a color can be tranquil and exciting at the same time," says designer Mary Douglas Drysdale. "You almost sink into the calmness, but it's still confident."

BUY NOWSherwin-Williams Searching Blue SW 6536, $50

Polo Blue by Benjamin Moore

"A deep, dark blue in a dining room will evoke the deep, dark Atlantic," says designer Tom Scheerer. "The paint finish is matte to absorb as much light as possible and let the objects arranged on it shine."

BUY NOW Benjamin Moore Polo Blue 2062-10, $49

Use this chart as a reference guide before you head to the store.

Sienna Livermore Senior Editor Sienna is a senior editor at Hearst.

Emma Bazilian Senior Features Editor Emma Bazilian is a writer and editor covering interior design, market trends and culture.

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