Naval
SW 6244 · Sherwin-Williams
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
SW 6244
Noticeable blue, a cool color
- Color family
- Blue
- Sold for
- Interior and exterior
Sherwin-Williams Naval SW 6244 is the navy most people mean when they say navy: a deep, slightly grayed blue with an LRV of 5, close to black on a wall until light hits it and the blue shows. Our method reads its swatch as a noticeable blue, useful for a navy scheme while leaving room for changes in appearance under different lighting. It is used on front doors, exteriors, kitchen islands and cabinets, and as an accent wall or a whole bedroom.
Source: Sherwin-Williams's color data. Undertone labels describe our calculation, not the paint formula or a test in your room. How we assess colors.
Is Naval warm or cool? Undertones by the numbers
leans blue
Undertone
Noticeable blue
A visible lean you see in daylight.
Naval has a muted blue swatch; sample it in the intended finish to check whether it reads navy, near-black or shows another cast in your room. In good light it is a clear navy; in a dim corner it reads nearly black. White trim makes it look bluest, and a warm white makes it look bluer still, because the yellow in the white pushes against it. Warm wood, brass and tan leather sit with it without a fight; cool gray tile beside it flattens the blue toward charcoal. In the Navy SW 9178 is its near twin, a little darker; Salty Dog SW 9177 is a brighter, cleaner blue at the same depth; Charcoal Blue SW 2739 is grayer, with the blue turned down.
Naval in different lighting
North-facing rooms make Naval look its darkest: with cool, weak light the blue drops out and four walls read close to black, so in a north room use it on one wall or on cabinetry and keep the trim bright. South light is where it earns the name; the blue is clear and even and the walls hold their color into the evening. East rooms show the blue in the morning and go inky after lunch; west rooms are dark until the low afternoon sun lights the blue up. Bulbs at 3000K keep it navy; 2700K muddies it toward charcoal, 4000K makes it electric.
Watch for
- Reads black, not blue, on four walls of a north room
- Turns cold and electric under 4000K bulbs
- Flattens toward charcoal beside cool gray tile or a gray floor
Best rooms and surfaces for Naval
Naval is at its best on things rather than on every wall: a kitchen island, lower cabinets, a front door, a built-in bookcase, a bathroom vanity. On cabinets it reads as a rich navy in a satin finish and pairs with white walls, brass or black hardware and marble-look counters. As a whole bedroom it works when the room has a good window and you want it to feel enclosed and cozy; keep the ceiling and trim white so the room has somewhere to breathe. An accent wall behind a bed or a sofa is the low-commitment version and reads well even in weak light. In a small windowless bathroom it goes black, and in a north-facing living room it is a heavy choice; a lighter blue such as Smoky Blue SW 7604 keeps the mood with less weight.
Naval on an exterior
Naval is searched as an exterior color more than as anything else, and it holds up outdoors. In full sun the blue reads clearly and the house looks navy, not black; on a shaded wall it darkens toward charcoal, so a house with a deep porch or a north-facing front reads darker than the chip. White trim in Extra White SW 7006 keeps the lines sharp, a natural wood door and brass lights give it warmth, and on shutters or a door alone it sits well against cream, light gray or brick.
Try Naval on your own walls
Upload a photo of your room, or the outside of your house, and TryMyHome renders Naval onto the walls for an illustrative preview beside your floors and furniture. Confirm the color with a physical sample. Your first 3 renders are free.
Naval vs In the Navy, Salty Dog, Charcoal Blue and Iron Ore
Naval vs In the Navy SW 9178
Naval is a touch lighter; both fall in our noticeable blue category. Based on published LRV and our swatch classification.
In the Navy SW 9178 is the color searched against Naval most, and the two are near twins: the same straight blue, with In the Navy a touch darker at an LRV of 4 to Naval's 5 and a hair more saturated. On a wall the difference is hard to see; on a chip In the Navy looks a shade inkier. Pick In the Navy for the darkest navy you can get; pick Naval for the same look with a little more light in it.
Naval vs Salty Dog SW 9177
Naval is a touch darker; undertone noticeable blue vs clear blue. Based on published LRV and our swatch classification.
Salty Dog SW 9177 sits at almost the same depth as Naval, an LRV of 5 for both, but it carries noticeably more color, with a hint of green in it, so it reads as a bright, clean navy where Naval reads as a grayed one. Salty Dog belongs in a coastal room or on a door that should look unmistakably blue; Naval is for rooms where the navy should behave like a neutral.
Charcoal BlueNavalNaval vs Charcoal Blue SW 2739
Naval is a touch darker; both fall in our noticeable blue category. Based on published LRV and our swatch classification.
Charcoal Blue SW 2739 is a step lighter, an LRV of 6 against Naval's 5, with a more muted digital swatch that suggests charcoal with a blue cast. Naval reads as blue. Choose Charcoal Blue where a navy would feel too much like a color, a hallway or a study for instance; choose Naval when you want the room to read navy.
Iron OreNavalNaval vs Iron Ore SW 7069
Naval is a touch darker; undertone noticeable blue vs no distinct lean. Based on published LRV and our swatch classification.
Iron Ore SW 7069 is the neutral charcoal at about the same depth, an LRV of 6 to Naval's 5, and it has almost no color in it. On a front door or an exterior the two are a common shortlist: Iron Ore reads as a soft black that suits any trim and any brick, Naval reads as navy and asks for white or warm wood beside it. Go with Iron Ore for a house that should look calm; go with Naval for one that should look blue.
Questions about Naval
Is Naval a good front door color?
Yes, and it is one of the most common ways Naval is used. At a door's size the blue reads clearly, and a semi-gloss or gloss finish brings it up. It looks best against white, cream or light gray siding and warm brick, with brass or black hardware. On a dark gray or black house it disappears; there a brighter blue like Salty Dog SW 9177 shows.
Does Naval work on kitchen cabinets?
It does, and it is the classic navy for a kitchen island or lower cabinets under a white or wood upper run. Naval on all the cabinets makes a kitchen dark unless the room is big and bright, so most people keep it to the island or the lowers. Satin or semi-gloss, brass or black hardware, and a white wall in Extra White SW 7006 or a warm white keep it from feeling heavy.
What colors go with Naval?
Sherwin-Williams pairs it with Icicle SW 6238 on trim and ceilings and names Ramie SW 6156, a soft tan, and Roycroft Suede SW 2842, a deeper camel, as accents; the warm tans are what make a navy scheme feel settled rather than nautical. Beyond those, white oak, walnut, brass, tan leather and a pale gray-blue like Upward SW 6239 on the other walls all work.
Is Naval too dark for a bedroom?
Not if the bedroom has a real window. Four walls of Naval make a bedroom feel enclosed and calm, which is what many people want from it, and white bedding and a white ceiling give the eye a rest. In a small north-facing bedroom it reads black by afternoon; there an accent wall behind the bed gives the same mood at a fraction of the weight.
Can Naval go on a whole house exterior?
It can, and it looks best with generous white trim, a natural wood or white door and a light roof, so the navy is framed rather than everywhere. Two practical points: the shaded sides of the house read charcoal rather than blue, and a dark color absorbs heat and fades sooner than a light one, so use an exterior-grade paint and expect the sunny side to need attention first.
What is one shade lighter than Naval?
Going up its strip by lightness, Salty Dog SW 9177 is barely lighter and much brighter, Dress Blues SW 9176 and Charcoal Blue SW 2739 are the next two steps, and Mineral Gray SW 2740 is a real jump into blue-gray. Going darker, In the Navy SW 9178 and Anchors Aweigh SW 9179 are the last two steps before black. Among its closest matches off the strip, Gale Force SW 7605 is a shade lighter.
Get a sample before you paint
Use the visualizer to narrow your shortlist, then confirm the finalist on your actual wall. A peel-and-stick sample of Naval, checked in morning and evening light, is the last step before a gallon.
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Trim, ceiling and coordinating colors for Naval
Sherwin-Williams names Icicle SW 6238 as the trim and ceiling white for Naval, a cool near-neutral white that lets the blue stay blue. Extra White SW 7006 is the crisp choice and the usual pick for exteriors. A warm white like Alabaster SW 7008 or Creamy SW 7012 makes the navy look bluer and the room warmer, and works well when the floors are warm wood.
Colors lighter and darker than Naval
Colors similar to Naval
Closest matches for Naval in other brands
These are the closest digital colors in our catalog, not equivalent paint formulas or touch-up substitutes. Compare physical samples in the same finish before choosing. See the comparison method.