Prime Highlights:
- Deep navy is emerging as the new must-have neutral for stylish homes, replacing gray with elegance, depth, and timeless appeal.
- Designers call navy a “grounding neutral” that adds warmth, contrast, and sophistication to walls, furniture, and decor throughout the home.
Key Facts:
- Benjamin Moore’s Blue Nova 825was named Color of the Year for its rich mid-tone blue with violet undertones.
- Popular ways to use navy include matte kitchen cabinets, velvet lounge chairs, and accent walls or built-ins, making it versatile across different spaces.
Key Background:
Gray has been the popular neutral for home interiors for years, but designers are now turning to a richer, more versatile choice: deep navy. Known for its elegance and timeless appeal, navy is becoming the color every stylish home needs.
Last year, Benjamin Moore’s Blue Nova 825, a mid-tone blue with violet undertones, was named Color of the Year for its depth and character. While Sherwin-Williams’ Upward offered a lighter, breezy blue, navy has emerged as the more dramatic and versatile choice, especially for modern and masculine interiors.
Navy is also popular because of color psychology. Blue makes a room feel calm, confident, and trustworthy, which is perfect for work, relaxing, or thinking spaces. Unlike gray, navy adds interest and depth, and it looks beautiful in all kinds of lighting, bright during the day and darker in the shadows.
Designers now see navy as a “grounding neutral.” Alvin Wayne, a leading interior designer, says it “has the elegance of black without the heaviness, making other materials like wood and metal stand out.” Navy is being used in walls, rugs, furniture, and cabinets, showing its flexibility in home design.
Some popular ways to use navy include matte navy kitchen cabinets with brass or black hardware, velvet navy lounge chairs for comfort and style, and accent walls or built-ins behind leather sofas or bookshelves to add warmth.
Some products using this trend are the Blu Dot Bonnie Sofa ($2,895), a navy sofa that anchors the living room; the Parachute Linen Duvet in Deep Blue ($429) for a cozy bedroom; the Caraway Navy Cookware Set (12-piece) ($445) for a stylish and safe kitchen; and the Rough Linen Navy Throw ($167) to add a touch of style to chairs or benches.
From the kitchen to the bedroom, deep navy is becoming the new go-to neutral, bringing elegance, depth, and timeless style to homes, slowly replacing gray.
