Dark or navy blue paint to try in dining room?

6 years ago

I have been dealing with a major toilet issue and I need a break to do something more fun, so I'm contemplating picking up a couple of paint samples.

Our dining room is currently a deep red, which everyone rather likes but is limiting the color options in the adjoining living room and kitchen. I've seen some dark blue dining rooms recently and everyone in the house likes them also, so I figured I'd get some samples and do the whole poster board test thing. Blue can almost be a neutral (think pairing jeans with various colors) so I'm thinking a dark blue might be the 'drama' aspect we like from the red, but allow more flexibility in the other rooms.

So, what is your favorite dark blue for a dining room? I don't think we want something too purple, more like a really deep cobalt maybe?

(The room does not get great light - it has a south facing glass block window only - but it is fairly open to the living room and kitchen which do get better lighting. We are also planning on installing a wall of built in cabinets that will be white most likely, so that will help break up the color, as I know a lot of the blue dining rooms you see have white wainscoting or similar to give the room some brightness. Once the cabinets are in place, the largest area of painted wall will be where we have our picture ledges for a changing 'art gallery' - lots of creative people in the house so we like being able to change things up - and those will also break up the expanse of blue.)

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BeverlyFLADeziner

6 years ago

I like a blue that has more life, even at night, that can be easily combined with standard items to create a unique room.

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Comments (9)

KD
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks. :)

I should add in case other people have suggestions that the house is 1930s and while we aren't going entirely historically accurate, we are going to replace some details that have been removed over time, like door trim. So as far as style we are thinking traditional or transitional, not too modern. We are also going to refinish the original floors in the house, which I think will end up a medium brown when all is said and done, possibly with a little red, I haven't figured out exactly what the wood is but it has a bit of a red/gold undertone to it now. (Not yellow like some oak or pine ends up, though.)

We also do use the room every day, so while it isn't casual (we like formal meals now and then) we aren't doing a super formal room that no one touches except on holidays.
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gella81
6 years ago
Mine is SW7602 indigo batik. Appears lighter on my screen than in real life. I find it to be the ultimate navy, and used it for both bedrooms and common areas before. Perfectly neutral, worked (for me) with walnut furniture and birch furniture.
jck910
6 years ago
I painted my DR BM Abyss
KD
Original Author
6 years ago
I'm having surprisingly bad luck with the Houzz search trying to find photos of darker blue dining rooms. Odd.

I like the textured look of grass cloth or wallpaper, actually, but I'm not sure if we want to go there with all the hassle that involves. It does give a nice depth of color though, and I think can soften the room?

So far I have managed to determine that we definitely want something darker than a Wedgewood type blue, but not as bright as some of the more modern rooms that use almost a primary royal blue.

The furniture and cabinets (built ins) will be a mix of painted white and medium stained wood (I actually plan to get a new table at some point, possibly custom since I can't find what I like retail, so maybe cherry table and chairs? Nothing too casual.) I'm also thinking to do upholstered chairs for the head and foot of the table, and for the chair seats.

I had been thinking leather (easy care) but maybe this is a good time to browse and see if there is any fabric we like that we could pull a blue from? Although a patterned fabric limits the table linens we can use and my housemate's kid loves switching for seasonal table cloths. Hrm.

(Usually I'd say rug but we don't want a rug under the dining room table due to trip hazard issues.)
Meg
6 years ago
You've gotten some nice navy suggestions already. Here is a pic of a blue that's in between Wedgewood and Navy...I think it would seem even darker if your room has less natural light. Good luck!
Woodland Road West Dining Room · More Info
gella81
6 years ago
Kate Pappas Gunteski
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
We had Sherwin Williams 7602 Indigo Batik in our dining room and it was stunning. In our new home we're doing Sherwin Williams 6244 Naval. The reason we're changing to a different navy is because Indigo Batik has warm brown undertones which complements the tans we had in the old house. But in our new house our decor is grays and blues. Naval has cool undertones and complements the grays. So make sure you choose the right color with the right undertones for your room and surrounding rooms ...makes such a difference! If I would have used Indigo Batik in my new house w/grays it would have looked obviously wrong and out of place.
HU-663978096
last year
I love Farrow and Ball paint. Their scotch blue has amazing depth