Color spec
| Brand | PPG / Glidden |
| Name | Naval Adventure |
| SKU | PPG1163-7 |
| Hex | #2A3F58 |
| RGB | 42, 63, 88 |
| HSL | 213°, 35%, 25% |
| LRV | 5 |
| Undertone | cool blue tone |
| Family | Blue |
What Color Is Naval Adventure, Really?
Naval Adventure (PPG1163-7) is a deep navy blue. The numbers tell the story: a lightness of 25 percent and an LRV of 5 mean it soaks up nearly all the light that hits it, so on a wall it reads almost black. But there is a real blue in it, not gray. With a hue of 213 and moderate saturation, you see the cool blue clearly in daylight and against white.
Navies like this stay popular because they act like a neutral while carrying more personality than black. Naval Adventure is PPG's answer to the classic deep navies, the Hale Navy type of blue that anchors a room without shouting.
It suits homes that want drama with restraint: a moody dining room, a home office, a front door, kitchen island cabinets, or the lower half of a two-tone wall. It rewards good light and plenty of crisp white nearby.
Naval Adventure leans cool and clearly blue. Its saturation sits around 35 percent, which is well above the near-neutral range, so this is not a blue-black that pretends to be gray. In strong daylight and next to white trim, the blue is obvious.
Where the undertone hides is in low light. Because the LRV is only 5, the color reads close to black once the sun drops or in a room with few windows. Under warm bulbs it can pick up a faint slate or charcoal cast, dulling the blue slightly.
To see the true undertone before you commit, hold a sample against a bright white card and against a true black. Next to white the blue jumps forward; next to black you confirm it is not just a dark gray. Check it in both daylight and lamp light, since the two readings differ a lot at this depth.
Best Rooms and Uses for Naval Adventure
With an LRV of 5, treat Naval Adventure as a statement and contrast color, not a whole-home wall color. On all four walls of a large, well-lit room it can be striking, but in a small or dim space it will close the room down. Use that to your advantage in a den, powder room, or home office where cocooning is the goal.
It shines as an accent wall, on the lower band of a two-tone wall, and on built-ins and bookcase backs. Cabinets are a strong use: a kitchen island or a set of lowers in this navy reads rich against white counters and warm wood.
Outdoors it works as a front door color and on shutters, where daylight keeps the blue alive against a lighter siding. As trim it is bold but doable on a light wall for a high-contrast, tailored look.
How Lighting Changes Naval Adventure
At an LRV of 5, Naval Adventure is a light sponge, so exposure matters more than with a mid-tone color. In a north-facing room the cool, flat light pushes it further toward blue-black and can feel heavy, so keep white trim and a mirror or lamp nearby. South-facing rooms get the most from it: strong warm light lifts the blue and shows its depth without turning it muddy.
East light in the morning reads clean and bright, then flattens by afternoon. West rooms do the reverse, going warmer and richer late in the day.
Bulb choice is decisive. Cool daylight LEDs around 4000K to 5000K keep the blue crisp and true. Warm 2700K bulbs soften it and can grey it down. If you want the navy to stay obviously blue at night, choose a cooler bulb; if you want it moodier and more black, go warm.
Most complaints about Naval Adventure 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 →Naval Adventure vs Similar Colors
Naval Adventure sits in a tight group of deep PPG blues, and the differences are subtle but real. Victory Blue (PPG1165-7), also LRV 5, is a touch more muted and slightly violet, so it reads a little softer and less crisply nautical. If you want a navy that leans faintly purple, Victory Blue is the pick; for a cleaner sea-navy, Naval Adventure wins.
Napoleon (PPG1013-7), LRV 5, is the more neutral option. It is closer to a blue-charcoal, so in low light it reads almost fully as a dark gray. Choose Napoleon when you want the moody depth of navy without an obvious blue.
Blue Tang (PPG1160-7), LRV 7, is a step lighter and more saturated, showing more blue on the wall. In a dim room where Naval Adventure would go black, Blue Tang holds its color better.
Colors That Go With Naval Adventure
For trim and ceilings, pair it with a clean high-LRV white. Pure White (PPG1001-1), at LRV 88, gives the crispest contrast and makes the blue read most clearly. If you want a softer, warmer frame, Antique White (PPG1015-2), LRV 78, takes the sharp edge off.
For a second wall color or an adjoining room, a mid neutral bridges the depth. Stone Beige (PPG1024-3), LRV 49, adds warmth that balances the cool navy, while Limited Gray (PPG1010-3), LRV 56, keeps things cool and quiet.
For accents, stay in the same tonal family with Mariner Blue (PPG1162-7), LRV 8, a slightly lighter navy that layers well, or push to near-black with Black Magic (PPG1001-7), LRV 4, for grounding trim and hardware. Warm wood tones and brass or aged-gold metals also flatter the blue.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint PPG / Glidden PPG1163-7 directly — but if you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches:
Similar PPG / Glidden colors
closest in the PPG / Glidden deckThe nearest shades to Naval Adventure within PPG / Glidden'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 #2A3F58 in HSL space. Pair Naval Adventure 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 Naval Adventure warm or cool?
Naval Adventure is a cool color. It has a clear blue hue with moderate saturation, so it reads as a true cool navy rather than a warm or gray-leaning blue. In warm lamp light it can soften slightly, but it stays on the cool side of the scale. Pair it with warm wood or brass if you want to balance that coolness.
Is Naval Adventure more blue or more gray?
It is genuinely blue. With saturation around 35 percent, well above the near-neutral range, the blue shows clearly in daylight and next to white. It only starts to read gray-black in low light because of its very low LRV of 5. If you want an obviously grayer navy, Napoleon (PPG1013-7) is the more neutral choice.
What trim white goes with Naval Adventure?
Pure White (PPG1001-1), with an LRV of 88, is the cleanest match. Its brightness maximizes contrast and makes the navy read most clearly as blue. If you prefer a softer, warmer frame, Antique White (PPG1015-2) at LRV 78 tones down the sharp edge while still keeping trim distinctly lighter than the walls.
Does Naval Adventure work on cabinets and exteriors?
Yes to both. On cabinets, especially a kitchen island or lower units, it looks rich against white counters and wood floors. Outdoors it works well on a front door or shutters, where daylight keeps the blue alive against lighter siding. Because its LRV is only 5, give it good light so it does not disappear into black.
What does an LRV of 5 mean for Naval Adventure?
LRV, or light reflectance value, runs from 0 (black) to 100 (white). At 5, Naval Adventure reflects almost no light, so it reads nearly black in most rooms and needs bright light or plenty of white nearby to show its blue. Treat it as a statement and accent color, not a whole-home wall color for small or dim spaces.
How is Naval Adventure different from Salty Dog?
They are very close deep navies. Salty Dog (SW 9177) from Sherwin-Williams sits at a similar depth around LRV 5 but is a measurably different mix, reading slightly different in the same light. Naval Adventure is PPG's equivalent in that classic navy space. Since they are this close, always sample the one sold by the brand you are buying rather than color-matching across brands.
Will It Work in YOUR Room?
No page can promise how Naval Adventure behaves in your light. Upload a photo and see it on your own walls in seconds — before you spend a cent on samples.
TRY NAVAL ADVENTURE ON YOUR ROOM →
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