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Navy Blue Color Guide: Elegance in Home Decorating

Color schemes sometimes lose their appeal, inspiring you to head out in search of new and intriguing design trends. If you're ready to upgrade your living space from mismatched to polished, consider using navy as either the main focal point or as a gorgeous accent color.

The Meaning Behind the Color

Navy is a classic, cool-to-neutral color that can take on numerous personalities – anything from moody to elegant to casually chic. The name itself comes from the British Royal Navy with its dark blue uniforms; first usage of navy blue as a color appeared in the early 1800s.

Which navy personality comes out will depend on other colors you use and the patterns and textures you work with.

decorating with navy

navy color guide

What Goes With Navy?

Pair navy with vibrant greens, yellows and reds to bring out its hidden vitality, or choose navy and bright white (or cream) for a traditional yet elegant look.

You can also match navy with lighter shades of blue – reminiscent of the sun-splashed coast – or a combination of blues and greens for that seductive underwater charm. Prefer to keep it simple? Use navy and neutrals, but add a pop of color with a lamp, vase, bouquet of flowers or a pretty painting.

Navy for the Bedroom

Unless you love the look of painted wood furniture or are confident that your tastes won't change for many years, your best bet is to skip the painted dressers and bed frames and instead focus on navy in your fabrics and decor. You can incorporate navy in your throw blankets, sofa beds, accent pillows, rugs and table lamps, or you could put more of your focus on the walls and the artwork.

But remember, too much blue will certainly overwhelm. If you want blue walls, keep your accent blues more modest – perhaps a navy blue rug, curtains and decorative pillows.

Navy for the Living Room

As you decorate the living room, try to add navy via the furniture and decor, not the walls. Navy walls can have quite a commanding presence, and while they come across cozy in a bedroom, they can be overpowering in a living room. One accent wall, though, would be a striking compromise.

navy color meaning sidetoside

styling with navy

If you choose a navy sofa, select accent chairs in another color – perhaps soft cream or cool grey for a quiet space, or bold yellow or terracotta red for a funkier vibe. Adding a splash of navy to your decor will also help you revitalize your living space.

navy home decor

Navy for the Dining Room

Like the living room, a dining room with all walls painted navy blue can become too cave-like. You might use gorgeous navy-patterned wallpaper on an accent wall, and then match those tones in your dining room chair cushions or a large area rug. Artwork and centerpieces can also incorporate small dashes of navy blue.

Navy goes with many color palettes, letting you create a room with personality, intrigue and timeless appeal.

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