Looking for a shade of blue but can’t decide? Sky Blue, Navy Blue, and Royal Blue are great options. This article will compare the three colors and provide you with the information you need to make the right decision.
Blue is a popular color in both wall paint and furniture. However, there are many shades of blue that can include red and green.
To make sure that your blue choice will work with the colors that you love best, it’s important to be aware of the power of contrast.
Sky Blue vs Navy Blue vs Royal Blue Paint Colors
Sky Blue
When you review the RGB code for sky blue, you will note that this color includes no red. If you love to spend time in a garden, you may note that green leaves fade into the background while flowers, particularly flowers from red to pink to orange, will stand out strongly.
The primary shade in sky blue is of course blue. This color also has quite a bit of green in it.
If you want to use this color in your home, be aware that many shades will blend nicely with it, but anything in the red spectrum will stand out.
Greens with a lot of yellow, such as celery or moss, may not look their best against sky blue. Deep greens, such as pine or moss, will take on a lush look against sky blue.
Because sky blue really can offer a calm and restful space for the eye, look for greens that have a healthy balance between green and blue for best results.
Because pinks and reds will stand out against sky blue, consider using a pale shade of pink, peach or buttery yellow in your decor.
Another simple way to put sky blue to use in your home without creating a lot of visual contrast is to tone it down with a bright white and put it on the ceiling of your home.
A blue ceiling and white walls, paired with a simple wooden or sisal floor covering could allow you to create a lovely oasis in your space.
A word about beige and blue: Many beige or cream tones have a great deal of yellow. Because sky blue has a strong percentage of green, you may find a better pairing of beige and sky blue if you lean closer to grey or bright white than to beige.
The color of light will be critically important to making this choice; if you plan to use sky blue on the walls of a room that gets a lot of sun, you may be happier with a crisp white trim or ceiling paint. The yellow shade of sunlight may be enough.
HEX COLOR: #00B5E2
RGB: 0, 181, 226
Navy Blue
Navy blue is a remarkably balanced color. There are a few risks when working with navy in your home decorating; in a white light, such as daylight LED bulbs, navy can read as black or deep grey. In a yellow light, it is more likely to appear blue.
Navy works beautifully with cream because cream contains enough yellow to allow the blue to stand out.
However, if you want to use navy on a wall, choose your location with great care.
If you decide you don’t like it, covering it will take at least one coat of primer.
That being said, one navy blue wall can be useful if you are
- creating a relaxing space, such as a movie room or a library
- covering up a wall that has been repeatedly patched
- displaying a bright, disparate set of collectibles
As noted by the RGB code, navy is nicely balanced. If you have a collection of bright bottles or jars, ceramics or minerals, all of them will stand out well against navy. Consider adding a light inside the shelf to create bright pools for your display pieces.
Navy is a wonderful foil for rich reds. A navy sofa with a burgundy throw will be a wonderful treat for a reader or a movie watcher. A navy side chair will pair beautifully with a rust-toned sofa. Because navy is a strong shade, go ahead and pair it with bold colors.
HEX COLOR: #202A44
RGB: 32, 42, 68
Royal Blue
Royal blue is another wonderful blue that offers a great balance. You will often see royal blue used in sports uniforms. First of all, it pairs beautifully with white.
It also works well with tones in the red and yellow spectrum. Finally, royal blue is balanced enough that will not fight with many shades of green.
Blue tones are inherently cool. Orange tones, from rust to orange to peach, will stand out against royal blue.
If you’re putting together a logo and you need it to go with several different background colors, include royal and white in your logo and it will appear crisp and clean.
Do pay special attention to the percentages when reviewing your choice of blue if you plan to use the shade in a large swath, such as painting all the walls of a room in one shade.
Royal has a close concentration of red and green. The blue tone, however, is near twice the amount of green.
Royal blue will stand strong against anything in the red family; even pinks will stand out and peaches and salmons will tussle with royal.
It’s a good idea to think about color saturation. A royal blue comforter in a small bedroom will take up a lot of visual real estate.
Orange curtains will create a strong visual contrast; while this pairing can work well on a sports uniform to boost the energy of the fans and player, these colors can be agitating to the spirit and eye in a bedroom.
A patterned curtain with gentle pastel shades will offer visual variety without a lot of jarring contrast.
Instead, consider using small pops of color against a large stretch of royal blue. A small collection of pillows that feature peach, mint green, white, and butter yellow could create a beautiful visual field and allow you to use all your favorite shades.
HEX COLOR: #5576D1
RGB: 85, 118, 209
