The Ultimate List of Designer-Approved Dusty Blue Paint Colors
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As the design world moves closer and closer to what I call “cozy color”, we’re seeing a lot of warmth. Browns, tans, and reds are probably the first colors that come to mind, but that warmth is showing itself in cooler colors as well.
Take dusty blue for instance. Dusty blue is a muddy blue-gray. Not too light, not too dark, it sits right in the middle of the LRV range, making it a mid-tone color that adds both sophistication and heritage charm to a space. Below are a range of my favorite mid-toned blue-gray paint colors for any room in your home.
What is LRV and Why Does It Matter?
LRV stands for Light Reflectance Value. It’s a scale from 0 (pure black, absorbs all light) to 100 (pure white, reflects all light) that measures how much light a surface reflects.
Dusty blues usually sit between 40 and 60, making it dark enough to feel cozy yet light enough to feel fresh.
De Mines by Farrow and Ball
Starting with the darkest paint color on the list, Farrow and Ball’s De Nimes is a rich, elegant color, perfect for a cozy bedroom, a small guest bathroom, or as an accent a front door interior, or built-ins. Honestly, I’m pretty sure it would look great anywhere. While maybe not the first color one thinks of as “dusty blue” because of it’s LRV around 20, I included it for it’s gray tones. We’ll call it “moody dusty blue”.
Seafoam Storm by Valspar
Another darker paint color on the list, Valspar’s Seafoam Storm is just a smidge under the midtone range at 31 LRV. This blue-gray color has a decent amount of green in it, but reads blue in most of the rooms I’ve seen it in. I love this in a color drenched room, she’s just so pretty.
Smoke Benjamin Moore:
With an LRV of 56.39 Benjamin Moore’s Smoke is smack dab in the middle. Richly saturated, it’s less muddy and more airy. Use this in a southern exposure to really see her shine.
Eventide by Sherwin-Williams
Sherwin-Willams describes Eventide as a “cool, midtone neutral evokes the laid-back charm of a calm sea on a cloudy day”. I’ve seen it looking light and fresh in bright spaces, and soulful and moody in darker ones. This paint color’s LRV sits around 41, making it on the darker end of the midtone paint colors. Try it in a low light bedroom to really bring out it’s sophisticated nature.
Boothbay Gray by Benjamin Moore
Another darker midtone color at 43 LRV, Benjamin Moore’s Boothbay Gray looks fantastic on builtins, cabinets, and trim. Part of Benjamin Moore’s Historical Collection, Boothbay Gray is the epitome of a classic coastal color.
Rainy Days Magnolia
Described as a “powder blue with a slight overcast gray tint” by Magnolia, Rainy Days may be the visual definition of “dusty blue”. While I’ve never seen this on in action, I find it intriguing enough to be worth sampling. Looks like it may be kinda perfect.
Don’t forget to sample!
Whether it’s in cottage blue floral prints, or weathered blue doors, dusty blue is without a doubt the most charming blue there is. BUT, don’t you dare put a paint brush to your walls without sampling first! Blue is notoriously tricky and will pull too blue, gray, green, even purple depending on the light and other elements in a room. Save yourself the headache and pick up some samples.
I always recommend Samplize. They’re large paint sample stickers you can easily move from wall to wall, and room to room. They’re actually fun to play with, but I’m a color nerd, so take that as you will. Search for the colors mentioned in this article at Samplize HERE and Magnolia Paint HERE
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