The Best Blues for Every Kind of Room

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, House Beautiful magazine put together a list of designers' favorite tried-and-true blue colors, from the palest powder blue to deep, glistening navy.

ICY BLUES
Icy blues bring clear skies indoors. “For a client’s library that opens to a garden and pool, we chose a beautiful blue-gray to give the illusion of bringing the outside in," says designer Paloma Contreras, who matched Benjamin Moore's Water's Edge 1635 with a high-gloss lacquer for a mirror-like finish.

GRAY BLUES
Painting an office? Try 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."

PALE BLUES
"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."

COBALT BLUES
Cobalt blues like, Glidden Caribbean Sea Blue, may be fore the more adventurous. "In Turkey, the sea is so clear and so bright—a true ocean blue, like this color. 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!" says designer David Phoenix.

BRIGHT BLUES
"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."

GREEN BLUES
"My favorite blue paint color is Farrow & Ball's Green Blue #84," says designer Chad Graci. "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".

DUSTY BLUES
"Aqua is a calming color. I often like to use a range of one color, so I compliment this Benjamin Moore Antiguan Sky with a darker teal or Prussian blue. Red or pink would punch it up and give it more pizzazz," says designer Lindsey Coral Harper.

NAVY BLUES
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 space is small, it lent itself to a rich jewel-box treatment," says Jeanette Whitson of this stunning space.

FRENCH BLUES
"Sherwin-Williams Searching Blue SW 6536 proves a color can be tranquil and exciting at the same time. You almost sink into the calmness, but it's still confident," says designer Mary Douglas Drysdale.

Article adapted from HouseBeautiful.com