I used Sherwin Williams Smoky Blue in my bedroom several years ago and I still love it as much as the day I painted it! Today I am going to share all the details on what makes this color so wonderful.
During COVID-19, I decided our bedroom needed a makeover. We needed something nice and calming since we were spending so much time at home.
I put picture molding on the walls and painted them a dark and moody color called Smoky Blue, and it turned out better than I expected.
Originally I was going to go white but my husband convinced me to paint it a color since the rest of our first floor was going to be a very light color.
I really loved the look of dark and moody bedrooms and after much consideration I decided on Smoky Blue. Let’s get into all the details on the paint color and let me show you how it looks in my home.

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Sherwin Williams Smoky Blue – Is it warm or cool?
Smoky Blue is a gorgeous blue-gray paint color that is cool-toned. It’s the blue in it that gives it that cool feeling.
Cool-toned colors are perfect for bedrooms, bathrooms, and any space you want to give a calm feel to.
Smoky Blue Stats
Here are the stats on what makes up the color:
- Red: 89
- Green: 110
- Blue: 121
- Hex Value: #596E79
- Color Collections: Color ID (Nurturer)
- Color Family(s): Neutral
I think it’s really interesting that the color family is neutral. Most people think neutral colors as white/gray/beige, but stronger colors can also be neutrals. You will see in my room the paint color just sets the tone for the furniture and bedding.

Smoky Blue LRV
LRV stands for Light Reflective Value. It’s a scale from 0-100 that measures the amount of light a paint color reflects. Zero being the darkest black and 100 being the brightest white.
Smoky Blue has an LRV of 15 which makes it a medium-dark color. I didn’t go for a really dark color for my bedroom because outside my window are a ton of trees.
In the summer when the trees have leaves, our bedroom feels a lot darker so I didn’t feel the need to go full black in the room.

Smoky Blue Undertones
I kind of let the cat out of the bag earlier. Smoky Blue is a blue color with strong gray undertones.
When you add gray to a paint color it really mutes the overall color. This is what helps Smoky Blue be more of a neutral.

How light affects Sherwin Williams Smoky Blue
Lighting plays a major effect on how a paint color will look. Here are some general guidelines on natural light:
- North-facing rooms have a light that tends to be a little cooler in nature and will come off slightly blue. Light colors will be a bit more muted or washed out while darker colors will be stunning.
- East-facing rooms will have brighter light in the morning and less in the evenings. The evening light will be a bit cooler. In the morning with sunrise, the bright sun will be warm. Warm color palettes are great for these spaces because they will help balance the cool feel of the evenings.
- South-facing rooms have consistent warm light throughout the day. The light really shows off the colors, dark will be very bright, and light colors will shine. Both warm and cool color palettes look good in a south-facing room.
- West-facing rooms have warm light in the evening and cooler light in the morning. Basically, it’s the opposite of east-facing.
My bedroom faces southeast. In the winter, when I actually get direct natural light in there because there are no leaves on the trees, the light is warm making the blue stand out a little more.
In the winter the room is much darker because there isn’t a whole lot of natural light coming through.

How to know if a paint color is right for you?
The best way to judge if a color is good for you then you will want to put a swatch on the wall and look at it over a few days. Look at it in different lights and decide if you really like it.
You can do this by getting a sample from the paint store and using a brush to put it up on the walls, but then you are left with a can that you can’t do anything with. Those samples are used with poor quality paint and aren’t meant for use on your walls permanently.
I recommend going with Samplize. They are a company that will send you a 12X12 peel and stick swatch of a paint color that you can stick to the wall. When you are done just peel it off and throw it away.
It’s easy and much less messy!
Sherwin Williams Whole Home Color Palette
Where can I use Smoky Blue?
Honestly, this color is perfect for just about any room. It’s especially perfect for a room that you want to evoke a calm feeling.
I think it’s more appropriate to say where not to use it. I would stay away from using it in a room that gets very little natural light. Now only for rooms that you need to be productive in, such as a kitchen, office, etc.
I used it in my bedroom which can be dark half of the year but that’s fine because most of the time I spend there I am sleeping! So it’s perfect.

What colors go well with Sherwin Williams Smoky Blue?
Smoky Blue pairs perfectly with whites, I personally prefer crisp whites. It also looks great with some bolder colors like mustard yellow and pinks/blushes, bronze, and lighter blues.
I created a whole home color palette for you so you can see just what I am talking about.
What is the best white trim color to go with Smoky Blue?
Ice Cube is a fabulous choice. It’s a very light blue that is almost white. I also really like Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White and Sherwin Williams Extra White.
Color Comparisons
There are a ton of colors that are similar out there so let’s compare some that are really close to Smoky Blue so you can see which one might work best for youl.
Smoky Blue vs. Needlepoint Navy

The big difference between these two is the undertones. Needlepoint Navy is more of a Navy with a touch of gray and Smoky Blue is not a navy. It has much more gray in it.
Needlepoint Navy is also a tad darker with an LRV of 13 and Smoky Blue sits at 15.
Get a sample of Needlepoint Navy from Samplize!
Smoky Blue vs Thousand Oceans

These colors are so similar. Smoky Blue has an LRV of 15 and Thousand Oceans sits at 16, so yeah, very close.
The only discernable difference is Thousand Oceans has a touch of green in the undertones, making it a bit warmer than Smoky Blue.
Get a sample of Thousand Oceans from Samplize!
Smoky Blue vs Storm Could

Smoky Blue is a blue paint color with gray undertones and Storm Cloud is a gray with blue undertones. Storm Cloud is also much lighter with an LRV of 23, while Smoky Blue is a 15.
Get a sample of Storm Cloud from Samplize!
Smoky Blue vs Waterloo

These two colors are very similar. They are both blue with gray undertones. The big difference is Waterloo has an LRV of 13 which makes it a bit darker.
Get a sample of Waterloo from Samplize!
Smoky Blue vs Smoky Azurite

These two aren’t very similar at all as you can see. They are beautiful blues but Benjamin Moore Azurite is much brighter with much less gray in it. It also has an LRV of 20.81, so it’s considerably lighter too.
Get a sample of Smoky Azurite from Samplize!
Smoky Blue vs Blustery Sky

These two colors are both equally gorgeous and extremely similar. They are blue with gray undertones but Blustery Sky is much lighter. It has an LRV of 22 whereas Smoky Blue sits at 15.
Get a sample of Blustery Sky from Samplize!
Smoky Blue vs Slate Tile

These two colors are so similar. They are both medium dark paint colors with the exact same LRV! The big difference is that Smoky Blue is a blue with gray undertones and Slate Tile is a gray with blue undertones.
Get a sample of Slate Tile from Samplize!
Sherwin Williams Smoky Blue Recap:
We went through a ton of information today so let’s hit upon some of the more important notes:
- Is a cool-toned paint color
- Has an LRV of 15
- Is a medium-dark color
- Has blue and gray in the undertones
- Is not a navy
- Is a calming paint color
- Great for bedrooms, bathrooms, dining rooms
- Also great for accent walls in darker rooms
Other Blue Paint Colors You Might Like:
- Sherwin Williams Krypton
- Sherwin Williams Silver Strand
- Benjamin Moore Van Deusen Blue
- Sherwin Williams Naval
- Benjamin Moore Hale Navy
- The Best Navy Paint Colors


As a licensed Real Estate Agent and an avid home decorator, I strive to give my clients the very best I can when it comes to staging, selling, and decorating their homes. I have lots of experience with paint color choices and love to DIY my home so I can have everything just the way I want it. I share my ideas and projects with the world in the hopes that I can help others have their homes just the way they want as well.