I thinkj Blue Danube would be agreat blue for a kids room . Get good lighting and at least the blue is dark enough to not see every little mark.. In fact why not bring home some samples and let him pick, he might know better than anyone what blue he likes. It is his room so let him pick .

Nothing too baby blue, too dark, too gray, or too bright. You're really narrowing down your options. What are you matching it to? Do you have bedding, furniture, window treatments? It's very difficult to advise you with no other information or photos.

I used BM Woodlawn Blue HC-147 in my son's room. It has some green which helps in northern light. Palladian Blue is similar. But the other commenters are right - what are you using for bedding? Maybe that will give you some clues. Another nice BM blue is Bright and Early 834.

@Diana Bier Interiors, LLC it is currently an empty room in a new home. I am not really matching it to anything! I guess i am limiting myself😂- open to baby blues but i would like it to be a color that grows with him. The problem with the grey blues is they are reading as grey in room. but i would also prefer that over a very saturdated color or a dark blue. He has a mid tone wooden bed and nightstands. I have to purchase new bedding bc he is moving into a full bed from a twin. I have to pick out paint colors for our painters this week which is feeling hard with the rooms empty. I am doing alabaster for the house walls/trim if that helps.

My daughter is facing the same dilemma in her soon-to-be baby daughter's room. I advised her to select the bedding first because it's easier to find a paint color that works with the colors in the bedding than vice versa. You could also find a rug first and select a color that works with that.

If you don't have time to do that, have the painter paint the room in Alabaster in a matte/flat finish. You can select blue accessories after you decide on the other items. Or you could select a blue and paint over the Alabaster after the painters leave. Not the best choice I understand, but I always select paint colors last, not first when decorating a room.

If none of this works, have your son look at some colors and ask him to choose. We did that many years ago when my daughter wanted lavender walls in her room. She selected a very bright color (Lily Lavender from Ben Moore) which would not have been my choice, and my husband was really against it. But my attitude was, it's her room, let her choose, so we did, and it turned out just fine. She lived with it for many years until she married and moved out, and then we repainted.

You might consider some blues with a hint of green--Palladian Blue, Woodlawn Blue, Stratton Blue. Or Summer Shower, Harbor Haze. all Ben Moore colors. I never use SW.

@Diana Bier Interiors, LLC this is really helpful. can i ask why no SW?! I picked alabaster over swiss coffee becasue it was less yellow in our home but still a warm white. But should i steer clear of SW ?!

Just some fun facts (you might be sorry you asked, LOL!):

"The Sherwin-Williams Company is a massive, publicly-traded global corporation, generating $23.57 billion in annual revenue and employing over 64,000 workers worldwide. In contrast, Benjamin Moore operates as a significantly smaller, specialized subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, estimated to have 1,000 to 3,000 employees and generating an estimated $1.5 billion to $2 billion in annual sales.

Company Operations

• Sherwin-Williams: The brand manufactures industrial, specialty, and architectural coatings, controlling a far wider global industrial and commercial footprint. [1]
• Benjamin Moore: It functions primarily as a premium residential and commercial decorative coatings brand, focusing heavily on specialized color technology.
• Sherwin-Williams: Utilizes a corporate-owned store model, operating more than 4,500 to 5,000 company-owned retail stores.
• Benjamin Moore: Operates on an independent-dealer network, with a larger footprint of over 8,000 independently owned local hardware and paint stores. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Business and Market Scale

• Sherwin-Williams: Valued with a market capitalization exceeding $79 billion, with stock information traded on the NYSE.
• Benjamin Moore: Because it is a private subsidiary under the Berkshire Hathaway umbrella, specific day-to-day revenue isn't publicly listed, but it retains a highly recognized footprint in the architectural coatings industry. [1, 2, 3, 4]

When comparing Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore paints, Benjamin Moore offers better color depth and premium finishes. Sherwin-Williams is generally more affordable, easier to apply, and offers more convenient national availability with widespread corporate-owned stores.

Performance & Coverage

• Color Selection: Benjamin Moore leads the market with over 3,500 colors, while Sherwin-Williams offers around 1,700. [1, 2]
• Coverage: Sherwin-Williams premium lines (like Emerald) often push 400 sq. ft. per gallon. Benjamin Moore lines (like Aura or Regal Select) typically cover about 350 sq. ft. per gallon, though they require fewer coats to cover bold or deep color changes. [1, 2]
• Application: Sherwin-Williams paints feature a slightly thicker consistency and slower drying time, making them highly forgiving and easier for beginners to self-level."

Since it is a new home and presuming you are not the painter, you may not have a choice. Many builders use SW as do many painters. Nothing truly wrong with SW. If you have choices, a painter with a good reputation is sometimes more important than the paint brand.

No, there's nothing wrong with SW, but you've made my point that SW is taking over the paint world.

"Many builders use SW as do many painters."

They've also dominated the shelter magazines. Where the articles on color choices used to include and indeed feature Ben Moore, SW has largely replaced it.

All the professional painters I've used throughout the years have preferred Ben Moore, but that's probably a function of my area--metro NY. None of the designers or homeowners I know use SW.

I have always used Ben Moore, interior and exterior. I started with them because their store was 6 blocks form our house, and I stayed because we got great advice, service, and products from them. Once I discovered their Aura paint I never went back.

OP, I totally get the problem with blues reading gray in a north-facing bedroom! I had the same problem in our last house, and didn't manifest itself until I painted the room. I learned to live with it, because it was a guest room I didn't see much. (Sadly, I can't remember the color name, to tell you what to avoid!)

On a side note for the other rooms, if you can, have them also paint the ceilings in Alabaster or whichever white you choose.. We did so with Alabaster and it is a very nice effect. Love it.

If you decide you want to stay within the BM family, look at White Dove as an alternative to SW Alabaster. White Dove is a very popular, versatile white. When we engaged a painter they said they usually used SW, but agreed to use BM when asked. The store was a little out of their way as compared to SW, so we paid a little more for it. The majority of the cost of outsourced painting is labor, so you may be able to get BM with a small upcharge like we did. But some painters may not be agreeable because they want to use what they're used to.

White Dove is my go-to white

I like Farrow & Ball’s Selvedge blue. Their paint isn’t inexpensive , however , you could have it matched if you like it. Their Kittiwake is lighter.

My 5 year old grandson’s room was just painted (board and batten on the lower portion in a mid range blue) and the upper a light cream and he loves it. Thought I’d mention and show examples, in case you were interested.

Why not pick the bedding first and coordinate with that?

Yes, that was suggested but the OP needs to select a paint quickly as the painters are coming soon.

IN my experience kids will change fave colors a few times before they move out so no need for timeless .. I do agree the bedding usually drives the wall color but new builds are often paint first.. I sure would not do ashade of white , so boring.

Consider B.M. Silver Mink.