A blue gray color scheme works in a bedroom because the color is calm and the light keeps it from feeling cold. The three blue-grays here run from LRV 14 to 37, and three companion colors from the same paintings add a pale gray and two warm browns.
Quick answer
Use the pale gray-blue #CED5D9 on the walls, the mid blue #81AAB3 on the main furniture or bedding, and the deep slate #596A6A for a headboard wall. Add the brown #966B3E as wood.
Every color on this page was measured from one of these public-domain paintings.
Shades of blue-grey
#81AAB3LRV 37
Soft Glacier Blue
A mid-tone with a cool blue undertone and an LRV of 37, the lightest of the blue-grays. It suits bedroom walls that get plenty of daylight. It comes from Francesco Guardi's Fantastic Landscape, and Sherwin-Williams SW 9057 Aquitaine is a near-identical match.
A mid-tone with a cool blue undertone and an LRV of 31. It works on bedding or a bedroom wall. It was measured from Charles de Coubertin's Halt of Caravans at the Wells of Saba, and Sherwin-Williams SW 9147 Favorite Jeans is a very close match.
Sherwin-Williams SW 9147 Favorite Jeans
Very close
Farrow & Ball No. 86 Stone Blue
Close
#596A6ALRV 14
Deep Slate Blue
A deep, cool blue-gray with an LRV of 14, good for a headboard wall or a cabinet. It comes from Monet's Arrival of the Normandy Train, Gare Saint-Lazare, and Sherwin-Williams SW 6222 Riverway is a very close match.
A light color with no clear undertone and an LRV of 66, the best choice for large bedroom walls and the ceiling. It was measured from the Monet painting, and Sherwin-Williams SW 6533 Mild Blue is a near-identical match.
A very dark brown with a warm red-orange undertone and an LRV of 6. Use it for a bed frame, a nightstand or a door. It comes from the Coubertin painting.
A deep brown with a red-orange undertone and an LRV of 17, close to a medium wood tone. It was measured from the same painting, and Sherwin-Williams SW 9106 El Caramelo is a very close match.
The same paint reads differently in cool north light, warm south sun and under evening lamps. Find the column closest to your room.
Color
Neutral daylight
North light
South light
Evening lamps
Soft Glacier Blue
Dusty Denim Blue
Pale Mist Gray
Try these colors in a room
Pick which color goes on the walls, the big furniture and the bold piece. Floors, shadows and trim follow your choice.
The framed picture on the wall is Fantastic Landscape.
What is the best blue gray for a bedroom?
The best blue-gray depends on the light. For a bedroom with a lot of daylight, the mid-tone #81AAB3 at LRV 37 gives a clear, airy blue. For a room that gets less sun, the pale mist #CED5D9 at LRV 66 keeps the room bright without turning icy.
The denim shade #829CA9 sits in between, a little grayer and slightly deeper. It is a safe choice for all four walls in a medium-size room.
The deep slate #596A6A at LRV 14 is the dramatic option. It suits a headboard wall, and in a bedroom used mostly at night it can cover all the walls. Choose it only if you can add warm lamps.
How do you build a blue gray bedroom color scheme?
Start with one main blue-gray, then add warm partners so the room does not feel cold. The two browns, #966B3E and #5E3C23, bring wood tones to the nightstand, floor or bed frame.
Use the pale gray #CED5D9 for trim and ceiling. It is lighter than the blues, so edges stay soft. If you want more contrast, choose a clean white with no yellow.
A simple split is the denim blue on three walls, the slate behind the bed and the pale gray overhead. Add the caramel wood in furniture and the dark coffee brown in a small piece such as a lamp. Linen and cotton in white or cream finish the look.
How do blue-grays change with bedroom light?
Blue-grays shift more than most colors. In a north-facing bedroom, #81AAB3 and #829CA9 look cooler and a little darker. In a south-facing bedroom, they look lighter and more blue.
Under warm evening bulbs, the blues lean gray-green, and the slate #596A6A looks closer to charcoal. If you want to keep the blue visible at night, use bulbs with a more neutral warmth.
Because the caramel brown has a red-orange undertone, it keeps the room from looking flat in any of these lights. Place a brown piece beside the wall during testing to see how the two interact. A strongly colored curtain or bedspread will also push the blue-gray toward warm or cool.
How do you test a blue gray before painting?
Blue-grays are easy to misjudge on a small chip. Paint a sample at least two feet wide on the wall where it will go, and a second one on the opposite wall.
Look at both in the morning, in the afternoon and at night. Check them next to your bedding, your floor and the wood furniture.
If the blue looks too strong, move one step lighter, for example from #81AAB3 to #CED5D9. If it looks too gray, move to #829CA9 or add more warm wood. The paint matches shown are the closest measured ones, so use them to find a color in your preferred brand, then compare the actual sample in your room.
FAQ
What is the best blue gray paint for a bedroom?
For most bedrooms, a mid-tone such as #81AAB3 or #829CA9 is easy to live with. The pale #CED5D9 suits a small or dim room.
Does blue gray feel cold?
It can, especially in north light. Adding warm wood, cream bedding and warm lamps balances it.
Can I paint a blue gray accent wall behind the bed?
Yes. The deep slate #596A6A at LRV 14 makes a good headboard wall with lighter walls around it.
What color bedding goes with blue gray?
White, cream and tan go well, and so does the caramel brown for a blanket or pillows.
What paint finish is best for blue gray walls?
Matte or eggshell keeps the color soft and hides small wall flaws.
Save these colors
A card with every color on this page, its LRV and the paintings it comes from. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.
Painting images: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Art Institute of Chicago, public domain (CC0).
Colors measured by Light & Pigment. Paint names belong to their brands and matches are approximate. Colors look different on screen than on a wall, so always test a sample.
From Fantastic Landscape, Francesco Guardi
