Pale Blue Paint for Bedroom: Shades and Pairings from Paintings
For a pale blue bedroom, start with a light, cool blue near LRV 51 on the walls. Then add two deeper sky blues for bedding and furniture, and warm cream and olive tones from the same paintings to keep the room from feeling cold.
Quick answer
Use #B4BFCE (LRV 51) on the walls, #8BADCC on a main piece of furniture and #92B1AF in textiles. Trim and ceiling suit the warm cream #E5E0D4.
Every color on this page was measured from one of these public-domain paintings.
Shades of light blue
#B4BFCELRV 51
Soft Gray-Blue
The best wall color here for a bedroom. Its LRV of 51 reflects a fair amount of light and its cool blue undertone stays calm. Measured from Frederick Richard Lee's General Garibaldi's Residence at Caprera.
A mid-tone at LRV 41, good for curtains, a throw or bedding rather than all four walls. It looks a little softer and grayer than a true sky blue. Measured from Paul Cézanne's Madame Cézanne in a Red Dress.
The truest sky blue of the group, at LRV 40. Use it on a dresser, a headboard wall or a painted piece of furniture. Measured from Paul Bril's Landscape with Hunters.
A very light color at LRV 75 with a warm yellow undertone. Use it on trim, doors and the ceiling so the blue walls do not feel icy. Measured from the Caprera painting by Frederick Richard Lee.
Sherwin-Williams SW 7010 White Duck
Near-identical
Valspar 6005-1A Asiago
Near-identical
Farrow & Ball No. 291 School House White
Very close
#8E7B35LRV 20
Olive Gold
A warm mid-tone at LRV 20 that works as a wood tone for a bed frame, nightstands or a dresser. It adds warmth against the cool blue. Measured from Frederick Richard Lee's General Garibaldi's Residence at Caprera.
A deep color at LRV 10 for one bold piece, such as an armchair, a bench or a lamp base. Keep it small so it grounds the room without making it heavy. Measured from the Caprera painting by Frederick Richard Lee.
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 Gray-Blue
Muted Sea Blue
Clear Sky Blue
Warm Cream White
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 General Garibaldi's Residence at Caprera.
Which pale blue should I paint my bedroom walls?
Start with how light you want the room to feel. The lightest blue here is #B4BFCE, measured from Frederick Richard Lee's General Garibaldi's Residence at Caprera. Its LRV is 51, so it reflects about half the light that hits it. It is the easiest choice for all four walls. The closest matches are Sherwin-Williams SW 6541 Daydream, Behr N550-3 Best In Show and Farrow & Ball No. 27 Parma Gray.
The other two blues sit near LRV 40. #8BADCC, from Paul Bril's Landscape with Hunters, is the clearest sky blue of the three. #92B1AF, from Cézanne's Madame Cézanne in a Red Dress, is a little softer and grayer. Both are mid-tones. On every wall they make a snug, enclosed room, which some people like for sleep.
In a small or dim bedroom, keep the walls at LRV 51 and bring the deeper blues in through a headboard, a chair or bedding.
What goes with sky blue in a bedroom?
The companion colors come from the same Caprera painting as the lightest blue, so they sit together naturally. For trim and ceiling, use #E5E0D4. It has an LRV of 75 and a warm yellow undertone, so it softens the cool blue instead of clashing with it. The closest matches are Sherwin-Williams SW 7010 White Duck, Behr PPU7-11 Cotton Knit and Farrow & Ball No. 291 School House White.
For wood, such as a bed frame, dresser or nightstands, look at #8E7B35. It is a warm mid-tone at LRV 20, close to Sherwin-Williams SW 6411 Bengal Grass or Behr S310-6 Gold Ink. For one bold piece, such as an armchair or a lamp base, use #635A2F at LRV 10. Close matches include Sherwin-Williams SW 7735 Palm Leaf.
For flooring, warm wood or a cream rug keeps the floor from turning cold under blue walls.
How does pale blue look in different bedroom light?
Cool blue shows the light it receives. In a north-facing bedroom, daylight is cooler, so blues look grayer and deeper. The LRV 51 blue is the safest choice there because it still bounces enough light to keep the walls from feeling heavy. The two mid-tones can look flat and dim in that light, so use them in smaller amounts.
In a south- or west-facing bedroom, warm light pulls blue toward a softer, friendlier tone. Here a mid-tone like #8BADCC can work on all four walls. Warm bulbs in the evening also warm the blue, and gray-blues can look slightly greener under them. Check your color at night, since that is when most people use a bedroom.
East-facing rooms are bright in the morning and dimmer later. Judge the blue at both times before you commit.
How do I test pale blue samples before painting?
Paint large samples, at least two feet square, or use sample boards you can move around. Put them on two different walls: one that gets window light and one that sits in shade. Leave a white border around each one so you are not judging it against the old wall color.
Look at each sample in the morning, at midday and at night with your bedroom lamps on. Place the cream next to the blue, and hold a piece of your wood furniture or your bedding against it. The paint matches listed on this page are the closest measured to each painting color, not exact copies, so always compare the chip on your own wall.
Live with the samples for two or three days before deciding. If a blue turns grayer than you like in your room, move to a lighter or warmer option.
FAQ
What is the best pale blue paint for a bedroom?
For walls, #B4BFCE is the best choice here. Its LRV of 51 keeps a bedroom bright, and its cool blue undertone stays calm. The closest match measured is Sherwin-Williams SW 6541 Daydream.
Is sky blue too cold for a bedroom?
It can be, especially in north-facing rooms. Warm it with cream trim like #E5E0D4 and wood or accents in olive gold like #8E7B35.
What sky blue color combination works for a bedroom?
Pale blue walls, a warm cream on trim and ceiling, olive-gold wood tones and one deep olive accent. All the warm colors on this page come from the same painting as the lightest blue.
Should I paint all four walls blue or just one?
The LRV 51 blue works on all four walls. The mid-tones near LRV 40 are better on one wall, on furniture or in textiles, especially in a small or dim room.
What LRV should a light blue bedroom paint have?
Above about 60 reads light and bounces light. The lightest blue here is LRV 51, just under that, so it reads as a soft, light blue without looking washed out.
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 General Garibaldi's Residence at Caprera, Frederick Richard Lee
