Cerulean paint colors
Cerulean is a vivid sky-blue with a clear, slightly green-leaning tilt that keeps it from going purple or navy. It is bright, saturated, and unmistakably blue — the kind of color that reads like a clear afternoon sky rather than a soft pastel or a moody deep. As a name, cerulean carries some history: it was Pantone's Color of the Year in 2000, which is part of why it still feels fresh and recognizable decades later.
The Truest Cerulean Matches
The truest cerulean matches across every US brand — start here.
Denim is exactly what the name promises: the blue of a pair of jeans that have been washed a hundred times, with enough gray in it to keep the color grown-up.
A dusty slate blue-gray at LRV 21, a steady seller for Behr that holds its color well except in low-light rooms.
Brilliant Blue is not a navy and never pretends to be.
Hyper Blue is a real cobalt — a clean, hard-saturated true blue sitting at LRV 10, which is navy depth with none of navy's manners.
Nearby Shades
Not quite cerulean? Each tile opens the full cross-brand hub for that nearby shade, painted in the shade itself.
All 1,109 Cerulean Paint Colors
Every cerulean from every brand we track, merged into one shelf. Truest match first. Filter by brand or depth, or change the order.
Swatches are each brand's published display value, not a physical sample under controlled lighting. Screens vary, and so does your light. Order a brand-direct sample or preview the color on a photo of your own wall before you specify.
Upload a photo of the room. We paint it in the cerulean you chose with your light and your floor, and you can swap colors until one holds.
How Deep Each Cerulean Deck Goes
How many cerulean colors each brand carries, drawn with that deck's own ceruleans from light to dark. Pick your store first, then the color. Every brand equal, no favorites.
More on cerulean paint colors
The reference point most people use is the digital hex #007BA7, with an LRV of around 17. That number matters on the wall: an LRV of 17 is on the deeper end of the scale, so cerulean covers a space with real color rather than washing out to a pale wash. It is rich and present without crossing into dark.
One thing to be clear about up front — cerulean is a color, not a single can you grab off a shelf. The hex is a digital benchmark. To get it on your walls, you match that target across whatever paint brand you prefer and have it mixed to order, which is how nearly every saturated blue actually gets bought.
What Cerulean Actually Is
Cerulean is a true mid-blue with a faint green undertone. That green tilt is what separates a good cerulean from its neighbors: too much red and it slides toward periwinkle or violet, too much gray and it dulls into a flat denim. The version people love is clean, lively, and clearly sky-toned.
The undertone is the thing to watch when you match it across brands. A swatch can look right in the store and read cooler or greener once it is mixed and brushed out. Always confirm the undertone on a real sample before you commit the whole room.
How It Reads on a Wall at LRV 17
LRV, or light reflectance value, runs from 0 (black) to 100 (pure white), and cerulean sits at about 17. That puts it firmly in the deeper-color range, so a cerulean wall holds its saturation instead of fading to a tint. Expect a room with presence — color you notice, not a background.
Because it is on the darker side, cerulean also drinks light. In a bright room it stays vivid and cheerful, but in a dim room it can feel heavier and more saturated than the chip suggests. Test it where it will actually live.
Where Cerulean Works Best
Cerulean shines in rooms that already get good light. South- and west-facing spaces keep it bright and true, and it brings energy to bathrooms, powder rooms, kids' rooms, laundry rooms, and accent walls. It is also a strong pick for a front door, cabinetry, or a built-in where you want a confident pop.
Where it struggles is low-light, north-facing rooms, where its depth can tip toward cold and gloomy. It can also overwhelm a small room if you wrap all four walls in it. In those cases, treat cerulean as an accent rather than the whole envelope.
Pairing With Trim, Ceilings, and Other Colors
Crisp white trim is the safest and most effective partner — it frames cerulean cleanly and lets the blue stay the star. A soft white ceiling keeps the room feeling open, while a warmer white trim takes a little of the cool edge off. Avoid stark blue-white trim next to it, which can make the whole scheme feel chilly.
For coordinating colors, warm neutrals like sand, greige, and natural wood balance cerulean's coolness beautifully. Crisp whites and soft grays keep it modern; warm brass, terracotta, or coral accents make it feel lively and intentional rather than cold.
How to Get Cerulean in Real Paint
You do not buy a tub labeled with this exact hex. You take the cerulean target to the brand and finish you want, and a tinting machine mixes it to order at the store. That is true for almost any saturated blue — the color is matched and mixed, not pulled pre-made off a shelf.
Because the hex is only a starting point, the same cerulean can be cross-matched across different brands, with small shifts in undertone between them. Pick the brand and sheen you trust, ask for a match to the reference, and buy a sample pot first. Saturated blues like this often need an extra coat for even, full coverage, so plan for it.
Cerulean Paint FAQ
Is cerulean a specific paint color you can buy off the shelf?
No. Cerulean is a color name and a digital reference, not a single product. You take the target to the brand and finish you want, and the store mixes it to order on a tinting machine.
What undertones make a good cerulean?
A good cerulean has a faint green lean that keeps it clean and sky-like. Watch out for versions that tip warm toward periwinkle or go gray and flat, since those drift away from the true vivid blue.
Will cerulean make my room feel dark?
With an LRV around 17, cerulean is a deeper, saturated color, so it adds real depth rather than a pale wash. In a bright room it stays vivid and cheerful; in a dim, north-facing room it can feel heavier, so test it in your actual light first.
What trim and ceiling colors go with cerulean?
Crisp white trim is the classic choice and frames the blue cleanly, and a soft white ceiling keeps the room open. A slightly warmer white softens cerulean's cool edge, while stark blue-whites can make the scheme feel chilly.
Can I match cerulean across different paint brands?
Yes. Since the hex is only a starting point, you can have the color cross-matched in whichever brand and sheen you prefer. Expect small undertone shifts between brands, so always brush out a sample before doing the whole room.
What mistakes do people make with cerulean?
The most common ones are skipping a real sample and trusting the chip, using it in a dark room where it goes cold, and wrapping a small room in all four walls. Many people also underestimate coverage, since saturated blues often need an extra coat for an even finish.
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