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Navy Blue Paint Color Ideas For A Cozy Bedroom Retreat

We took a chance from our normal light paint colors and are so happy we did. Read all about how we compared the best navy blue paint colors to end with SW Indigo Batik for our bedroom.

Sherwin Williams Indigo Batik on bedroom walls with gray headboard and lamp on.

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Have you ever just wanted a fresh look without breaking the bank? I feel like that is the story of our life and probably why we are DIY people!

We decided to completely change it up in our primary bedroom this year. The first thing we always say to do to change a room is through DIY painting projects.

Searching For The Best Blue Paint

The research for the best navy blue paint began. We chose SW Indigo Batik and you can see the painted room at the end. Come along with our journey as we compare and contrast some of the most popular Sherwin Williams dark blues.

Blue paints swatches and chips

The “Before” Bedroom

Our gray bedroom just needed a facelift. I used to be scared of going bold with my paint colors and tried to stay more neutral.

SW techno gray on bedroom before painting with bed and furniture moved

However, now I am getting a little more adventurous and bold with my paint colors.

As you can see this image is once we started patching the walls and moving the furniture off the walls. Our room wasn’t a complete disaster like this the whole time. We were in the process of getting a new bed (read all about our Casper mattress review here) and really wanted the room to be painted before adding new items.

Our original bedroom was painted in SW Techno Gray. It worked and was a safe gray to go with. However, we were looking to make our bedroom paint a little bolder. Since there is a lot of natural light coming through the windows it was the perfect time to pick a paint with a low LRV or the last one on the paint swatch.

What is LRV?

This rating is the number that can be found on the back of paint swatches.  According to Wikipedia, LRV refers to the “measure of usable light off or a reflective surface”. Indigo Batik has an LRV rating of 8.

The lower the number the darker it is. However, if a room gets natural light and you really want to see some contrast, then don’t shy away from the lower LRV ratings.  

After painting the first coat, I was nervous that the color was going too royal blue. But just like with our Rockwood Sash Green painted kitchen cabinets, I knew that the second coat of paint will be a much richer color.

Navy blue walls being painted for the first coat
Don’t judge a paint color by the first coat!

What color is Sherwin Williams Indigo Batik?

hex code for Sherwin Willams Indigo Blue paint color

It is SW 7602. Its hex code is 3E5063. 

What colors go well with Indigo Batik?

Coordinating colors can always be a little tricky, however in this case Sherwin Williams shows indigo batik in their (eclectic) color palette. There are all sorts of colors that pair well with SW Indigo batik. Some of our favorites are: 

We love the look of a golden warmer color. Currently, we plan on adding a DIY accent wall, in particular a wooden slat accent wall. The plan is to go with a contrasting stain to our bedroom furniture and add that warmer touch to the wall.

Complementary Colors To Indigo Batik

Colors that go with Sherwin Williams Indigo Batik.
1. Natural Linen 2. Sommelier 3. Butterscotch 4. Rookwood Sash Green

We seem to be gravitating toward colors in the Color Enthusiast palette from Sherwin Willams. Our favorite complementary colors from this collection are: 

  • Rookwood Sash Green SW 2810
  • Leather Bound SW 6118
  • Sommelier SW 7595
  • Butterscotch SW 6377
  • Natural Linen SW 9109

In addition to our space and surrounding rooms, Liveable Green and Pure White also complement the space. The best part about Indigo Batik is that it can fit a lot of color palettes and styles. We brought in the Butterscotch and Natural Linen colors in our West Elm bedding (which we absolutely love)!

best Sherwin Williams dark blue paints with different tones of blue paint.
1. Indigo Batik 2. Naval 3. Sea Serpent 4. Charcoal Blue 5. Anchor’s Aweigh 6. Salty Dog

Sherwin Williams Indigo Batik vs SW Naval

SW Naval is considered Sherwin Willams’s darkest navy blues. We were concerned that this would make our room feel smaller. While we wanted a moody space, SW Naval just seemed a little too dark. Even though Indigo Batik has an LRV rating of 8, we still felt it had a little extra gray than dark navy in it. Naval has an LRV rating of 4 and is definitely a darker navy.

Stillwater, Sea Serpent, Indigo Blue, Charcoal  Blue Peel and Stick Paint Samples
From Top to Bottom and Left to Right: 1. Still Water 2. Indigo Batik 3. Sea Serpent 4. Charcoal Blue

Charcoal Blue Vs. Indigo Batik and Sea Serpent vs. Indigo Batik

In our room, the Charcoal Blue paint sample from Samplize seemed to be the darkest. Still Water was by far the color with the most green. I really did love this color (as I love all green paints) but wanted to be a little different compared to other colors we have chosen for recent projects.

While Sea Serpent tends to appear greener. You can see how the different colors appear lighter and darker compared to each other in this image of the samples.

Which Sherwin Williams paint is the darkest navy blue paint?

Here is a list of some of the paints by LRV Rating. Remember, the lower the number the darker the color will appear. You can see that SW Naval is the darkest navy color by Sherwin Williams. 

  • Still Water: LRV 10
  • Indigo Batik: LRV 8
  • Sea Serpent: LRV 7
  • Charcoal Blue: LRV 6
  • Naval: LRV 4

Need help picking a paint color? Read our full peel-and-stick paint sample review here.  

What are the other colors on the same paint swatch?

  • SW 9151 Daphne
  • SW 6242 Bracing Blue
  • SW6243 Distance

Sherwin Williams Indigo Batik Accent Wall

At first, we were not sure if we were going to paint our whole primary bedroom with Indigo Batik or if we would leave the techno gray on the other walls. Here you can see how the indigo batik plays well with the light gray color of the headboard.

gray and navy bedroom idea with lamp, gray headboard and West Elm geometric bedding

Why We Love This Paint Color

Here are a few reasons we are so happy with choosing SW Indigo Batik for our bedroom. An added bonus might be that it is easier to sleep in a darker room as well.

Works Well With White Moldings

Our white molding, doors, and window casings also helped keep the room pretty bright without feeling too overwhelming.

Wasn’t Too Dark For the Whole Room

However, we decided to paint the whole room with SW indigo batik and are working towards adding a wooden slat accent wall behind our bed frame. We are happy that it wasn’t too dark due to the natural light from our windows.

You can see that depending on the light, the walls appear darker. One of the biggest cons you have to decide when painting a room a dark color is that you will see imperfections more easily. Just be careful and take your time when painting!

Color Worked Well With Our Wood Tones

We were shocked at how the blue color really accented our wood furniture and made it appear richer in tone. The gray headboard and light bedding seem to work well in the room.

Sherwin Williams Indigo Batik with wooden dresser

Our Blue And Grey Bedroom

SW Indigo Batik painted walls with bedding, lamps and fan in primary bedroom

While I would like to say this is not a complete makeover yet, you can see what our room currently looks like with freshly painted Indigo Batik walls. Check back soon for what else we decide to do for this primary bedroom makeover.

Related Painting Ideas

Follow us on Pinterest, Youtube or Facebook for more DIY inspiration!

We are so happy that we took a chance and painted our bedroom with SW Indigo Batik.  Dark blues are great calming and dramatic colors to add to any room in your home.

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