French blue paint colors are beautiful blue shades that have an appearance of stately sophistication. These blues are practically synonymous with elegance and serenity.
A French blue has long been one of my favorite colors due to their timeless appeal and the ease of use in home design. A good French blue can be used in so many different ways.
French blues make me think of both the effortless style of Nancy Meyers and the detailed elegance of a vintage French palace.
Choosing a French blue can difficult though, because there are so many gorgeous options.
Here, I will take away some of the clutter and show you only the best french blues from Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore.
This will make your decision much easier, and you will be on your way to painting in no time!
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A Note About French Blue Undertones
Before we get started, I want to say one thing about undertones. All blues have undertones. French blues are always blues with a gray undertone. This is what gives them their sophistication.
But they tend to also have secondary undertones of either purple or green.
Just because a blue has a purple or blue undertone does not mean that it will look either purple or green on your walls. But it does let you know what sorts of other colors to pair it with.
Most importantly, you will want to make sure that all the blues in your space coordinate. If your walls have a purple undertone, make sure that the other blues in your room also have a purple undertone, as a blue with a green undertone will clash with the walls.
Both blues with green undertones and blues with purple undertones will look good with whites, and warm neutrals like cream. But, while blues with green undertones will go well with warm grays and beiges, blues with purple undertones will work better with cool grays or taupes.
Best French Blues by Sherwin Williams
Sherwin Williams has many great French blues, but here are some of the top colors that work in a lot of spaces.
Niebla Azul SW 9137
Sherwin Williams Niebla Azul is a light blue paint color that has a good bit of gray in it. It has a slight purple undertone.
With an LRV of 52, Niebla Azul is a light paint color, and can be used in most spaces. It is a great color for living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, or really any space where you want to have a soft blue shade.
It is a mature light blue that is very usable.
Little Boy Blu SW 9054
Sherwin Williams Little Boy Blu is another great option for a light French blue. It has a bit less gray in it than Niebla Azul, and favors more of a green undertone than a blue one. Again, it does not look green at all, but you will want to avoid putting it with other blues that have a purple undertone.
Little Boy Blu has a bit more color to it than Niebla Azul, but still does not look juvenile, despite the name. I like to use Little Boy Blu in bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, or living rooms.
Little Boy Blu has an LRV of 67, and this makes it a very versatile paint color. It isn’t too light or too dark.
Debonair SW 9139
Sherwin Williams Debonair is a medium depth French blue. It combines blue and gray with a hint of purple to create a blue that is a bit stormy.
Debonair starts to give a more saturated look to a room, and but is not so dark that it will overpower the space. It has an LRV of 34, so it is almost getting into the dark range of paint colors, but not quite. You can use light cream accents or pops of white to balance out the depth of the paint.
Debonair is a good paint color for cabinets, home exteriors, accent shades, or in a color drenching paint technique.
French Moire SW 9056
Sherwin Williams French Moire is a similar depth to Debonair, but has less gray and more of a green undertone than a purple one.
French Moire isn’t bright, but has more chroma to it than many of the other French blues on the list.
This makes it a good color to use in a space with cool lighting. A blue with more gray will lean heavily into the gray when it is in a space with cooler light, like a Northern facing room or a space with dim lighting. But a color like French Moire will hold its color a bit better in these spots.
With an LRV of 47, French Moire is not a color that will work everywhere, but its a great color for smaller space such as cabinets or as an accent shade. French Moire also is good in a whole room if you want a maximalist look.
Favorite Jeans SW 9147
Sherwin Williams Favorite Jeans is a medium depth paint color that blends blue and gray. It has a hint of purple, but this is very slight.
Favorite Jeans has an LRV of 35, so it works well in accents spaces such as cabinets or feature walls. That being said, if your space can support a darker color, Favorite Jeans is a good option. It has an almost neutral quality to it that makes it a good foundational color.
Waterloo SW 9141
Sherwin Williams Waterloo is a dark paint color that blend blue and gray to make a stormy, almost murky blue.
Waterloo has an LRV of 13, so its pretty dark. It is a great color for cabinets, home exteriors, or accent spaces, but also would be beautiful in a whole room in a color drenching technique or with bold white trim.
Best French Blues by Benjamin Moore
Benjamin Moore has so many different options for blues, and here are some of their best French blues.
Blue Veil 875
If you want a very light French blue, Benjamin Moore Blue Veil is a good option. It is so light that it is one of those barely there paints that just hints towards a color.
Blue Veil balances blue and gray to looks like a soft cloud. With an LRV of 73.8, Blue Veil light and airy. It will need crisp white trim to stand out.
Blue Veil can work in most spaces, but I would avoid using it is very bright rooms as it will likely wash out.
Palace Pearl CW-650
For a very light French blue that has a bit more color, Benjamin Moore Palace Pearl is a good choice. It has an LRV of 61.73, and works anywhere.
It would be great in a living room, dining room, bedroom, or bathroom, and can even work as an all-over-the-house paint color.
Sheer Romance 837
Sheer Romance is a midtone blue with soft gray undertones. The gray in it gives it a mature quality.
With an LRV of 44.6, Sheer Romance is a grounded paint color that will look darker in a dimly lit room, and a bit brighter in a well lit space.
Like most medium shades, Sheer Romance is a good paint color for dining rooms, office, home exteriors, or even a bedroom. I would also consider Sheer Romance for a cabinet color.
Dusty Cornflower CSP-605
Dusty Conflower is a medium blue that is similar to Sheer Romance, but has a bit more depth. It is understated and elegant, with a bit more gray in it.
Dusty Cornflower’s LRV of 36.19 makes it a great color for accent spaces or in a whole room that you want to give a grounded or moody look.
Old Blue Jeans 839
Old Blue Jeans is called a “darkened cornflower blue” that creates a “comfortable, effortlessly stylish finish.” This statement perfectly encapsulates what I think of when I think of a French blue.
Old Blue Jeans has an LRV of 25.34, which puts in in the medium dark range of paint colors. This makes it not the most usable color on the list.
I would use Old Blue Jeans in an office, library, living room, dining room or accent space. It is also a good color for a home exterior.
Newburyport Blue HC-155
Newburyport Blue is a dark blue paint color that is bold in its depth but understated in its approach. It blends a dark blue with a dose of gray to make it sophisticated and mature.
It has an LRV of 10.31, which means it is a very dark shade. Its not the best color for everywhere, but in the right space it is absolute magic.
Newburyport Blue looks great in an office, bedroom, living room or dining room. It draws you in without feeling oppressive.
It is also a good color for an accent space, such as a fireplace, accent wall, exterior, doors, or shutters.
Wondering How To Pick the Perfect Paint Color?
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Then, peel the sheet off your wall and reapply it somewhere else if you like. You can try several different paint colors with no mess, no fuss and no cleaning paint brushes.
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Final Thoughts on French Blues
I hope this list helped you pick a French blue that you love. Knowing the undertones should help you decide which sort of blue will work in your space, and understanding their LRV (or how light or dark they are) helps you determine whether you should use a color on the walls, cabinets or as a feature wall.
Of course, there are no hard and fast rules with painting, as your home design is a work of art. If you love a deep, saturated French blue like Newburyport Blue and want to paint your walls in it, go for it!
If you are still on the hunt for the perfect blue, here are a few other articles that may help:
The Best Blues by Sherwin Williams
The Top Muted Blue Paint Colors
The Favorite Blue Gray Paint Colors
Gorgeous Blue Green Paint Colors
