Color spec
| Brand | Behr |
| Name | Dark Navy |
| SKU | PPU14-20 |
| Hex | #2F3E54 |
| RGB | 47, 62, 84 |
| HSL | 216°, 28%, 26% |
| LRV | 5 |
| Undertone | cool blue tone |
| Family | Blue |
What Color Is Dark Navy, Really?
Behr Dark Navy PPU14-20 is a deep, cool navy that sits right at the edge of black. With an LRV of 5, it reflects almost no light, so across a whole wall it reads as a soft charcoal-blue rather than an obvious blue. The blue is real, though: at 28% saturation on a hue of 216, this is a true navy, not a gray with a blue name.
Dark Navy earns its spot near the top of Behr's dark blues because it is the closest thing Home Depot shelves have to Benjamin Moore's Hale Navy, and it has become a default pick for cabinet makeovers. If you want the Hale Navy look mixed while you wait, this is the can people grab.
It suits homes that want weight and contrast: navy islands under white counters, moody offices, paneled accent walls, and front doors that read almost black until the sun hits them.
Dark Navy leans cool, full stop. Its hue of 216 puts it squarely in the blue range with a slight drift toward slate, and at 28% saturation there is enough pigment that the blue survives even in dim light. You will not find hidden purple or green here the way you do with many near-black blues; what shifts is how much of the blue you can actually see.
In bright daylight the color shows as a saturated navy. As light drops, the blue collapses toward charcoal, and by evening most rooms will read it as an off-black. Test it against a true black like Behr Black PPU18-20 and the blue jumps out; test it against a mid blue like Blueprint S470-5 and Dark Navy looks nearly black. Sample it next to your trim white, your counters, and any existing blue fabrics so you know which version of it your room will show.
Best Rooms and Uses for Dark Navy
An LRV of 5 makes Dark Navy a contrast color, not a whole-home color. Its most common job is cabinets: kitchen islands, full lower runs, and bathroom vanities, where the depth reads as painted furniture rather than a dark room. This is the use it is best known for.
On walls, treat it as a statement. It works painted floor to ceiling in a dining room, office, or bedroom you use mostly at night, where the low light-bounce feels intentional and cocooning. In small windowless rooms it can also work precisely because it stops pretending the room is bright, a powder room in Dark Navy with a high-LRV white sink wall is a classic move.
Outside, it is a strong front door and shutter color against light siding, and a viable full-body exterior on a house with generous white trim. Skip it for ceilings and trim in average-light rooms; at this depth those surfaces just disappear.
How Lighting Changes Dark Navy
With an LRV of 5, Dark Navy absorbs about 95% of the light that hits it, so lighting decides whether you see navy or black. In a north-facing room, the cool, flat light pushes it toward slate-black; the blue only reads up close. South-facing rooms are the friendliest: steady warm light lets the blue show for most of the day.
East-facing rooms get the blue in the morning and lose it to charcoal by afternoon; west-facing rooms do the reverse. Direct sun raking across the surface is where Dark Navy looks most clearly blue.
Bulbs matter just as much at this depth. Warm bulbs around 2700K mute the blue and pull it toward a softer ink color. Cooler bulbs at 3000K to 3500K keep the navy legible at night. In a room with little natural light, plan on layered lamps or the walls will simply read black.
Most complaints about Dark Navy are a light mismatch. Upload a photo of your actual room and see it on your walls — then ask for the same wall in north light or evening lamps before you buy a single sample.
TEST IT IN YOUR LIGHT →Dark Navy vs Similar Colors
Behr has several near-blacks within a shade of Dark Navy, and the differences only show side by side. New Navy Blue BXC-26 (LRV 5) shifts noticeably toward teal; next to Dark Navy it looks like it has a drop of green in it. Pick New Navy Blue if your room has warm woods or brass you want to echo with a sea-leaning navy; pick Dark Navy for the straighter, classic navy-blazer read.
Ink Black N490-7 (LRV 5) is less saturated and more slate. On a wall it behaves like a blackened blue-gray, quieter and less obviously navy. It is the safer choice if you want dark walls that never announce themselves as blue.
Limo-scene N560-7 (LRV 4) runs a touch darker and drifts slightly indigo, reading dressier and more violet at night. If you are choosing for cabinets in a normally lit kitchen, Dark Navy stays legible as blue longer than either N-series color, which is why it is the default of the three.
Colors That Go With Dark Navy
For trim and door casings, Ultra Pure White 1850 (LRV 92) gives the crispest line; the near-90-point LRV gap is what makes navy-and-white kitchens look sharp. If bright white feels stark, Swiss Coffee 12 (LRV 80) is the softer classic, a creamy off-white that warms the pairing without turning yellow next to the cool navy.
For walls in the same room as Dark Navy cabinets or an accent wall, Silver Drop PPU18-19 (LRV 60) is a quiet greige that keeps the space light without fighting the blue. Back to Nature S340-4 (LRV 38), a muted sage, works as a second color in an adjoining room or on a hutch; green and navy share cool undertones and sit comfortably together.
For a tonal scheme, Smoke Blue PPU14-10 (LRV 27) reads as Dark Navy's lighter, grayer cousin on upper cabinets or bedroom walls. Finish with warm wood tones, brass or matte black hardware, all of which flatter deep navy.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint Behr PPU14-20 directly — but if you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches:
Similar Behr colors
closest in the Behr deckThe nearest shades to Dark Navy within Behr's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #2F3E54 in HSL space. Pair Dark Navy with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
Accessibility (WCAG contrast)
WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.
The Questions Everyone Asks
Is Behr Dark Navy warm or cool?
Dark Navy is a cool color. Its hue sits at 216, firmly in the blue range, with 28% saturation, so it is a true navy rather than a gray that leans blue. It has no warm brown or purple undertone. In low light it cools further and reads close to charcoal-black, while direct daylight brings the blue forward.
What white trim goes with Behr Dark Navy?
Ultra Pure White 1850, with an LRV of 92, gives the cleanest, highest-contrast trim line against Dark Navy and suits modern and coastal schemes. If you want a softer, more traditional look, Swiss Coffee 12 at LRV 80 is a warm off-white that gentles the contrast without looking dingy next to the cool navy.
Does Behr Dark Navy work on kitchen cabinets?
Yes, cabinets are its signature use. Dark Navy is a standard pick for island and lower-cabinet makeovers because at LRV 5 it reads as substantial painted furniture rather than a dark wall. Pair it with light counters and a high-LRV wall color such as Silver Drop PPU18-19 so the kitchen keeps enough overall brightness.
What does Dark Navy's LRV of 5 mean in practice?
LRV measures how much light a color reflects, from 0 for pure black to 100 for pure white. At 5, Dark Navy reflects almost none, so it darkens a room noticeably and will read as black in dim corners and at night. It also means strong sun exposure on exteriors can show fading sooner than a mid-tone would.
How is Behr Dark Navy different from Sherwin-Williams Naval?
They are close cousins. Naval SW 6244 has an LRV of 4, so it runs a touch darker and slightly less saturated than Dark Navy at LRV 5. On a wall the difference is subtle: Dark Navy holds its blue a little longer in average light. If you are buying at Home Depot, Dark Navy delivers essentially the same look.
Should I sample Behr Dark Navy before painting?
Yes. Colors this dark swing hard with light, from clear navy in sun to near-black at night. Paint a large sample, at least two feet square, or use a peel-and-stick swatch on two different walls, then check it morning, afternoon, and under your evening bulbs. Also hold it against your trim white and counters, since those set how blue it reads.
Will It Work in YOUR Room?
No page can promise how Dark Navy behaves in your light. Upload a photo and see it on your own walls in seconds — before you spend a cent on samples.
TRY DARK NAVY ON YOUR ROOM →
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