In this article, you will learn about Powder Blue and Carolina Blue colors including a side-by-side comparison. If you are considering either of these colors, the following information will help you make the right decision.
Powder Blue vs Carolina Blue
If you’ve ever studied the sky for even 24 hours, you know that there’s no such thing as plain old blue.
Whether you’re on the lookout for a bedroom pastel or a darker shade for an accent wall, blue can either serve as a gentle color that will fade or a bolder shade that will always stand out.
Powder Blue
By the numbers, Powder Blue is not a deeply smoky color. The percentage of red in this shade is fairly low and this color maintains clarity, though darker shades in this family of powder blue can lean toward a smoky blue-gray.
What makes powder blue more interesting than a basic pastel is the small gap between green and blue.
Obviously, the color green is half-blue when it comes to mixing pigment.
This blue holds its own against warm shades because there is a lot of yellow in the mix. However, this blue will also work well with other pastel shades including the warm shades of peach and yellow as well as pink.
If you want to pair this with cooler colors such as lavender or light green, consider using a slightly darker shade.
While this shade is primarily blue and green, it can’t really be considered balanced because of the low percentage of red. However, this is a very relaxed blue.
It will serve well as a foil for warm pastels and step back to gray out against stronger cool colors.
This can be a lovely shade in the grown-up parts of your home. As noted above, this shade will work well with charcoal gray colors. If you have slate floor tiles, a rich gray carpet, or Barnwood vinyl planking, this blue will work beautifully in your home.
Powder Blue will also work beautifully with shades from bright white to cream. Because the green in this shade is quite strong, cream tones and beiges can actually move this color toward aqua.
If your space gets a lot of sun and you want to draw out the daytime aqua shades of powder blue, put creams and yellows to work.
This is the spot to show off your hanging wicker chair, your pale sisal rug, and your entire basket collection. Do be aware that this color will not be a terrific foil for warmer wood tones.
It will work with a warm maple bookcase or your oak rocker, but it won’t really make them pop by backing up and letting the wood tones shine.
If your living room floor is a gray Barnwood, you may not be terribly happy with how your warm wood pieces look against it if you have this color on the walls.
Gray floor and blue walls mean a cool room, but your red (think warm) items in the space will be one too many visual jolts to the viewer.
For those with the room, a blue and gray room could be left very simple with just a touch of greenery from a few plants.
Put on a coat of white paint on baseboards and cabinetry and you’ve got a beautifully trimmed room.
RGB: 176,224,230
Hex Code: #B0E0E6
Carolina Blue
Carolina Blue is much closer to a traditional pale or sky blue than powder blue. There’s a low amount of red and a decent gap between blue and green in the RGB code.
This blue is going to stay blue no matter how much warm light or creamy yellow trim paint you expose it to.
If you love this shade, think about your favorite views of the world on a misty day. From misty blue light through clouds to white stars in a navy blue sky, this color will work.
If you want this color on the walls of your kitchen, simple white cabinets with brushed nickel hardware may be all you need to keep the room looking clean and well-coordinated.
If you use this in a room with a lot of natural light, it can be a terrific foil for plants. Look for greenery that is fairly dark and somewhat glossy.
If you have a lime green sweet potato vine, it may be striking against this color but unless it’s really healthy, it may look a bit ill.
Shiny jade plants, purple velvet plants, and peace lilies will all sparkle against Carolina Blue.
This is really not a friendly color for warm wood tones. If you love painted trim, go for a simple bright white to boost the blue theme. Flooring options might include gray Barnwood vinyl plank, plush gray carpet, slate tile, or vinyl with blue and gray features.
If you’re a DIYer in a house with wooden floors that have seen a lot of abuse, you might consider painting the existing wooden floor for a short-term fix.
Be aware that the best finish will come from an oil-based paint and be ready to paint with all the windows open.
Before you choose any wall paint, it’s important to take a hard look at what in your space is permanent, or at least pretty solid right now.
If your carpet is in decent shape and you want a fresh color on the wall, paint to match the current carpet.
Changing out flooring is messy and incredibly disruptive; inertia and a low tolerance for chaos will keep you cleaning that old carpet or dealing with worn wooden floors until you just can’t stand it anymore.
When it is time to finally replace old flooring with new carpet, bring home samples and put them right under the windows.
If you have Carolina Blue on the walls and you want to keep it, study the carpet in full sun and as night falls.
Make sure you rotate the carpet to make sure that you like the color from both the dark and the light nap.
If this color is your favorite, look for coordinating furniture, drapes, and flooring in grays that contain a lot of blue.
If you’re not sure whether a gray is a yellow or a blue base, put something yellow against it. If it’s a blue-gray it will read navy blue; if it’s a yellow-gray, it will stay gray.
Warm colors love yellow and will hold true to their real color. Cool colors will get a little combative and the blue will stand out over the gray tone.
RGB: 153, 186, 221
Hex Code: #99BADD
