Our favourite dark blue paint colours right now
Dark Blue paint is seriously on trend right now, but picking the right shade of dark inky blue isn’t quite so simple. That’s because there is just SO much to choose from. So to make it a little easier for you, I’ve picked our top 5 favourites right now.
Have you thought about using dark blue paint in your home recently? It’s actually everywhere right now! Every hotel I visit, every couple of images on Pinterest and all over Instagram I see dark blue walls. Surprisingly for such a dark colour there is actually a lot of choice.
So to help you decide which inky dark blue paint to use if you’ve gone and taken the plunge, I thought I’d list out my top five. Some are darker and a couple are inkier, but they can all be used for any interior scheme. And there is something for every budget too. First up is a paint brand I’m new to…
I've actually chosen to use Payne's Grey as a dark blue paint to redecorate my home office.
Craig and Rose – Payne’s Grey
Craig and Rose are a relatively new find for me. I actually came across them whilst driving along Chiswick High Street. As a local, I notice when shops are changing and I noticed the renovation of one of the stores. Intrigued to see what it was a couple of weeks later, I popped along, to find Craig and Rose.
I was looking for an Inky Blue myself to paint a bespoke home office. And came across Payne’s Grey. Here is everything that you might need to know about it:
Colour: Payne’s Grey – A dark iron blue with warm grey
Finish Options: Chalky Emulsion, Gloss and Eggshell
Size Options: 2.5L, 750ml and 50ml Sample Pot
Information: Touch dry after 2 hours, re-coat after 2-4 hours
Number of Recommended Coats: 2
Price: £35 for 2.5L
Second up is an very well known industry favourite, and a paint not many people haven’t heard of.
Farrow and Ball – Hague Blue 30.
If you haven’t heard of Farrow and Ball then I’m not quite sure where you have been. They are pretty much the leading ‘designer’ of the paint world and have a fair few dark blue paints to choose from. The most popular two of which are Railings and Hague Blue.
Railings is a very dark inky blue paint, but in some lights can actually just show as a very dark grey. So I’ve chosen Hague Blue as my Farrow and Ball favourite. And here is everything that you might want to know:
Colour: Hague Blue No. 30 – A deep dramatic blue with green undertones
Finish Options: Estate Emulsion, Modern Emulsion, Full Gloss
Size Options: 2.5L, 5L and a 100ml Sample Pot
Information: Recommended to use the Dark Tone Primer and Undercoat
Number of Coats Recommended: 3-4
Price: £46.50 for 2.5L
Farrow and Ball’s designer status also means that it comes with a designer price too. Unfortunately it’s not ever discounted either. Although I love Farrow and Ball paints and half of my home is painted using their brand, do note that it’s not only the paint that will cost you more.
Most painters and decorators will actually charge you more to paint using Farrow and Ball. This is mostly because it requires more coats than others, particularly when you are using dark blue paint.
Inky Blue Paint Shades work really well with dark wood and brass accents.
Third, one of the oldest surviving English soft furnishing brands. Yet far from old fashioned, this brand picks up on its heritage but is absolutely designed for modern living.
Sanderson – Indigo Blue
As one of the oldest British soft furnishing brands, this company has been around for a little while! Although the company started as a wallpaper brand, they went on to design fabrics and then continued to grow, launching a paint collection too.
With a much wider selection of neutrals, the blue shades from this collection are limited. But then concentrating on quality rather than quantity is always something I’ve followed myself. Indigo Blue is the perfect shade for those who are slightly more colour conscious as it’s not ‘too blue’. Here is everything you need to know about Indigo Blue:
Colour: Indigo Blue – An almost black-blue
Finish Options: Active Emulsion and Water Based Eggshell
Size Options for Active Emulsion: 2.5L, 5L and 125ml Sample Pot
Size Options for Water Based Eggshell: 1L and 2.5L
Information: Dries in 1-2 hours, but re-coatable after 2-4 hours
Price for Active Emulsion: £43 for 2.5L
Price for Water Based Eggshell: £28 for 2.5L
Active Emulsion is their most versatile finish yet. It’s a highly durable classic matt finish that is perfect for busy family homes. The water based Eggshell is hardwearing and has a washable low sheen finish, perfect for kitchens, bathrooms and conservatories.
Fourth, a high street favourite and what some might refer to as a slightly more affordable brand.
Dulux – Breton Blue
Dulux is an incredibly well known paint brand. I think if you asked 10 people who were not into DIY to name a paint brand, 90% of them would say Dulux. Of course as a high street brand, it comes with more of a high street price tag too. Although some of their more luxurious, wipe, greaseproof and washable paints are a bit more expensive.
The best thing about shopping with Dulux, is that they have a visualiser app. You can download it on your phone for free. Then simply take a snap of the wall and insert the colour you have been looking at. Remember this is just a visualiser. So there may be slight differences to real life paint. But such a great tool for those struggling to see what a paint colour might look like.
Here is everything that you might want to know about Breton Blue:
Colour: Breton Blue – A deep grey blue
Finish Options: Flat Matt, Satinwood, Easycare Kitchen, Eggshell, Silk, Soft Sheen
Recommended Finish: Easycare Kitchen – a matt finish and easy to keep clean
Size Options: 2.5L and a 30ml Sample Pot
Information: Drying time of 6 hours
Number of Recommended Coats: 2
Price: £33.32 for 2.5L
Pair Dark Blue with white and you will create a clean, contemporary scheme. Paired with grey, dark blue paint looks a little more sophisticated.
Last and fifth, but certainly not least, another oldie and actually London’s oldest paint makers.
Mylands – Mayfair Dark
Mylands are actually the last remaining paint manufacturer in London and makes all of its paints in Lambeth. Although they may have started in 1884, the only traditional quality that remains is their customer service. The paint has kept up with technical advances and they is a brilliant range of shades to choose from.
There are a few Dark Blue options from Mylands, but I liked the Mayfair Dark the most. It’s a real blue, where as some of the others have a real tinge of green to them. So, here is what you might want to know about Mayfair Dark:
Colour: Mayfair Dark – A true deep blue
Finish Options: Marble Matt Emulsion, Wood and Metal Gloss, Eggshell and Matt and Floor Paint
Recommended Finish: Marble Matt Emulsion
Size Options: 1L, 2.5L, 5L and 100ml Sample Pot
Number of Recommended Coats: 2
Price: £46 for 2.5L
I tested out all of these colours for my own home office, which is a bespoke unit in the corner of my living room. For this, I selected Craig and Rose’s Payne’s Grey. Of course, when I finally get round to sanding it and painting it, I will show you the outcome.
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