Color spec
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams |
| Name | In the Navy |
| SKU | SW 9178 |
| Hex | #2F3F50 |
| RGB | 47, 63, 80 |
| HSL | 211°, 26%, 25% |
| LRV | 5 |
| Undertone | cool blue tone |
| Family | Blue |
What Color Is In the Navy, Really?
In the Navy (SW 9178) is a deep, classic navy blue. Its hex is #2F3F50 and its LRV is 5, which is about as dark as paint gets before you are into blacks, so in most rooms it will read almost black unless light is hitting it directly. Saturation is around 26 percent at a hue of 211 degrees, which is relatively strong for a color this dark, and it is why the blue still shows rather than collapsing into charcoal.
That balance is the reason people choose it. A lot of navies at this depth turn muddy or go purple; this one holds a clean, cool blue in daylight and behaves like a near-black at night. It is a common choice for front doors, kitchen islands, built-ins, and moody accent walls where you want color and weight at the same time.
The thing to plan for is that at LRV 5 the room does the work, not the paint. In shade or under warm bulbs, In the Navy is effectively black, and any texture, roller mark, or patched drywall will show more than it would in a lighter color. Sheen matters too, since a flat finish absorbs the little light there is and a satin gives back enough to keep the blue visible.
In the Navy leans cool blue, with a hue of 211 degrees. That reading sits in the true blue range rather than drifting toward teal on one side or purple on the other, which is what separates a clean navy from the ones that turn violet in the wrong light. Saturation of about 26 percent gives it enough pigment to stay recognisably blue even at LRV 5.
Where the blue shows is a matter of light hitting the surface. In direct daylight the color is clearly navy. In shadow, in corners, and after dark it collapses toward black, and only reflections off the surface tell you it is blue at all.
It shows its coolness most next to warm materials. Against oak, brass, or a creamy white it looks decidedly blue. Against gray stone or a cool white it reads darker and closer to charcoal. Sample it on the actual surface, since sheen changes how much of the blue you see.
Best Rooms and Uses for In the Navy
The classic use is a front door. At LRV 5 with 26 percent saturation, In the Navy gives a door strong presence against almost any siding color and holds its blue in outdoor light better than a near-black would. Shutters and exterior accents work for the same reason.
Inside, cabinetry is where it earns its keep. A kitchen island, lower cabinets, a bathroom vanity, or a library of built-ins in this color reads deliberate and finished, especially against a lighter counter and warm brass or bronze hardware. It is also a strong choice for interior doors.
On walls it suits rooms you want dark on purpose: a study, a dining room, a powder room, or a bedroom accent wall. A whole room in it needs good lighting and clean drywall, because at this depth every flaw shows. Skip it as a general-purpose wall color in small, dim spaces, where it stops being blue and just becomes black.
How Lighting Changes In the Navy
At LRV 5 almost nothing comes back, so orientation matters less than whether light lands on the surface at all. In a south-facing room with strong daylight, In the Navy shows its blue clearly and looks rich rather than heavy. In a north-facing room the flat, cool light keeps the blue honest but deepens the color, and it can read as near-black across most of the wall.
East and west rooms swing through the day, with the color coming alive during their bright hours and going to shadow the rest of the time. Corners and areas away from windows will look black regardless of orientation.
Bulbs make more difference than windows here. Warm 2700K lighting mutes the blue and makes it feel closer to a soft black, which many people prefer at night. Cooler 3500K to 4000K bulbs keep the blue visible and sharper. Sheen is the other lever, since a satin or semi-gloss reflects enough light to keep the color reading blue.
Most complaints about In the 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 →In the Navy vs Similar Colors
The obvious comparison is Naval (SW 6244), which is #2F3D4C at LRV 4. It is a point darker and marginally less blue, and on a door or cabinet run the two are very hard to tell apart. Salty Dog (SW 9177), #234058 at LRV 5, is the same depth but noticeably more saturated and brighter blue. Gale Force (SW 7605), #35454E at LRV 6, drops some of the blue for a slate-gray cast, and Mountain Fig (SW 9690), #383C49 at LRV 4, leans further toward charcoal.
Across brands, Dutch Boy Ocean's Depth (337-7DB) and HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Naval (HGSW 3351) both come in at a deltaE of 1.08, and Benjamin Moore North Sea (CC-932) at 1.3, all visually identical in normal room light.
Behr Ink Black (N490-7) at 2.64, Valspar Gotham Gray (4009-3) at 2.93, and Dunn-Edwards Dark and Stormy (DET572) at 2.98 are very close but worth sampling first. Kompozit Star-Studded (0620) at 3.62 is close but visibly different side by side.
Colors That Go With In the Navy
White is the natural counterweight. At LRV 5 the contrast with any trim white is extreme, which is exactly the effect people want on a navy door or navy lower cabinets with white uppers. A warm white softens the coolness and keeps the pairing from feeling stark; a crisp white makes it graphic and modern.
The Sherwin-Williams colors closest to it are alternates, not partners, since they all sit within two points: Naval (SW 6244) at LRV 4, Mountain Fig (SW 9690) at LRV 4, Salty Dog (SW 9177) at LRV 5, Gale Force (SW 7605) at LRV 6, Rainstorm (SW 6230) at LRV 5, and Moscow Midnight (SW 9142) at LRV 5. Any two of them together will just look like the same dark color twice.
The warmth in a navy scheme should come from materials. Oak, walnut, leather, and rattan all lift it, and brass or unlacquered bronze is the standard pairing because warm metal is the direct opposite of a cool blue. Chrome and nickel keep it colder and more nautical.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint Sherwin-Williams SW 9178 directly — but if you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches:
Similar Sherwin-Williams colors
closest in the Sherwin-Williams deckThe nearest shades to In the Navy within Sherwin-Williams'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 #2F3F50 in HSL space. Pair In the 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 In the Navy blue or black?
It is a true blue that behaves like a black in low light. The hue reads 211 degrees with about 26 percent saturation, which is strong enough to keep the blue visible in daylight. But at an LRV of 5, any surface in shadow or lit by warm bulbs will read as near-black.
What LRV is In the Navy?
In the Navy has an LRV of 5. Light reflectance value runs from 0 for black to 100 for pure white, so 5 is at the very dark end of the scale. It reflects almost no light back into a room, which is why it gives such strong contrast against white trim and why it needs direct light to show its color.
Does In the Navy work in a dark room?
It works if you accept that the room will be dark. At LRV 5 the color absorbs nearly all the light it gets, so in a dim space it stops looking blue and simply looks black. If you want the blue to stay visible, use a satin sheen, add warm-neutral lighting, or reserve the color for cabinets and doors rather than every wall.
What white trim goes with In the Navy?
Any trim white gives dramatic contrast against LRV 5, so choose based on mood rather than contrast. A warm white keeps the pairing softer and traditional, which suits navy cabinets with brass hardware. A crisp, cooler white makes the scheme sharper and more modern, and it emphasises the cool blue lean of the color.
Is In the Navy good for a front door or cabinets?
Yes, those are its strongest uses. On a front door the LRV of 5 gives maximum contrast against almost any siding, and the 26 percent saturation keeps it reading blue in outdoor light instead of black. On an island, vanity, or lower cabinets it gives depth against lighter counters and pairs naturally with brass or bronze.
How is In the Navy different from Naval?
They are extremely close. Naval (SW 6244) is #2F3D4C at LRV 4, while In the Navy is #2F3F50 at LRV 5, so In the Navy is a hair lighter and holds slightly more visible blue. Side by side you can see the difference; on separate surfaces almost no one would. Pick either and sample on the actual door or cabinet.
Will It Work in YOUR Room?
No page can promise how In the 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 IN THE NAVY ON YOUR ROOM →
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