What color should you paint your basement? Here are 25 beautiful blue paints for your consideration. Basements aren’t just dark storage caves for stuff that won’t fit in closets upstairs.
More and more basements are being used as media rooms, playrooms, offices, and spare bedrooms. It is more and more common to see basements with wet bars, kitchens, half baths, and even full bathrooms. Finished basements are just as functional as the rest of the house.
And when it comes time to paint your basement, there is always a perfect shade of blue. What is so special about blue paint in basement decor? The challenge of decorating a finished basement is choosing a color scheme that compensates for the lack of natural light.
Crisp, bright whites with no undertone seem like a natural choice, but scientific studies have confirmed that bright, white walls are distracting. Your mind keeps looking for colors that aren’t there in order to make associations between your basement and the other places in your life. Pure white is a bad choice for painting a basement.
Pale grey whites, such as gypsum, and white paint with red undertones, such as Unicorn, don’t aggravate any tendencies toward ADHD. With them, matching undertones in the paint scheme to furniture and floors are the challenge. The easiest color to match to typical basement decor and furniture is blue.
Related: Blue Paint Options Family Room | Blue Paint Options Primary Bathroom | Blue Paint Options Kids Bedroom | Blue Paint Options Dining Room | Blue Paint Options Primary Bedroom | Blue Paint Options Living Room | Blue Paint Options Guest Bedroom | Green Paint Options Finished Basements | White Paint Options Finished Basements | Red Paint Options Finished Basements | Beige Paint Options Finished Basements | Gray Paint Options Finished Basements
Why is blue a good choice for painting your basement?
Blue with a subtle addition of green creates a mindset for healthy behaviors. It’s a great color for a basement gym. Blue with yellow and red undertones is cheerful.
It’s a great choice for a basement playroom for children or adults. Blues mixed with earth tones and browns are a great choice for basement kitchens. These combinations encourage our brains to pay more attention to tastes and aromas.
(On the other hand, they are a bad selection for basements that tend to be damp and musty.) Even blues mixed with black have a place in basement decoration, although they are decidedly not for everyone. Here are 25 of the best shades of blue paint for creating just the right feel for your basement.
None of the following points, by the way, is a masonry moisture-proofer designed for moisture control. Paints for keeping your basement walls and floors dry have to be applied to absolutely dry, stripped walls and ceilings. They are a lot of extra work, and they often fail.
Don’t try to cure moisture problems in your basement with paint! Paint your basement blue for beauty.
Best Blue Paint to Make a Low Ceiling Seem Higher: Cayman Bay PPU14-03
Source: Behr
A navy blue might seem like an odd choice for a basement, but this navy blue, which is closer to a nautical blue, adds depth to doors and cabinets. Behr Cayman Bay PPU14-03 helps to create an illusion of depth that draws the eyes away from the ceiling to the walls and cabinets where it is painted. Putting this shade of blue on doors directs attention horizontally rather than vertically.
It sends the brain a subtle message that there is a way out. But it’s too dark for a basement ceiling.
Best Shade of Blue Paint for Painting Ceilings in Dark Basements: Blue Veil 875
Source: Benjamin Moore
It is easy to choose the wrong shade of blue for a dark basement, and mistakes in color selection will be even more noticeable on the ceiling. A ceiling is always going to appear darker than floors or walls, and any blue you choose for the ceiling in a basement with no natural light has to be a light blue. But Benjamin Moore Blue Veil 875 is a classic color that can brighten up your basement ceiling even if adequate lighting is a challenge.
Best Bright But Cozy Blue Paint for Basements: Falling Snow PPU18-07
Source: Behr
Behr Falling Snow PPU18-07 is the blue you choose when you want your basement to feel calm and cozy without making it too dark. Because it is either a very light blue or a very blue-white, it is a shade you can use when your basement has no natural light. This shade encourages calm communication.
It might be a little too bright if you use your basement for poker night or shooting pool, but it’s perfect for a downstairs retreat and making your basement feel fresh and clean
Best Shade of Blue for Brightening a Basement with High Ceilings: Alabaster SW 7008
Source: Sherwin-Williams
Sherwin-Williams Alabaster SW 7008 has is an almost-white blue that has hints of purple and gray. In the United States, it is a shade of blue associated with stately buildings that have tall windows. Your basement, of course, is not likely to have any tall windows, but this shade of blue has your eyes looking for them.
It makes a basement feel like it’s an upstairs room. But it’s not so white that it generates emotional tension.
Best Shade of Blue Paint for a Basement Used for Storage: Mysterious AF-565
Source: Benjamin Moore
If you have a basement you mostly use for storage but you want it to look neat and organized, Benjamin Moore Mysterious AF-565 is the shade of blue for you. It’s not in any way an inviting color. It has enough black in it that it almost shouts “Find what you want and get out of here.”
But it lends itself to a feeling of organization and efficiency and is a great backdrop for finding things on shelves.
Best Shade of Blue Paint for a Basement with One Wall Open to the Outdoors: Mediterranean Breeze 799
Source: Benjamin Moore
Benjamin Moore Mediterranean Breeze 799 captures the blue you would see in a seaside grotto on the coast of the Mediterranean or the color of the sky in summer in the south of France. It’s the perfect color for the first floor with three sides underground that opens to a swimming pool. It’s a great color for a basement with windows that connect to the outside world in any way.
But there is enough gray in this shade of blue for emotional grounding in the here and now. It’s not a shade of blue for a fantasy theme.
Best Shade of Blue Paint for Basement Romantic Moments: Gem Turquoise 500B-4
Source: Behr
If your basement is also your romantic getaway, the best shade of blue paint for you is Behr Gem Turquoise 500B-4. Just as this shade of blue paint in the kitchen helps diners feel more relaxed about eating, it can be used in a bedroom or basement to help romantic partners feel more relaxed. It’s a color that supports intimacy with care and affection.
Best Shade of Blue Paint to Frame a Basement Wet Bar: Charcoal Blue SW 2739
Source: Sherwin-Williams
Sherwin-Williams Charcoal Blue SW 2739 is a dark navy blue that works well with white cabinets and darker marble countertops to frame a basement wet bar. In basement lighting, it may look almost gray, but has just enough blue to elevate the mood around the bar to stimulate conversation and conviviality. Don’t use it to paint entire walls and certainly not ceilings.
Best Shade of Blue Paint for Dungeons and Dragons in the Basement: Charcoal Blue SW 2739
Source: Sherwin-Williams
How do you paint a dungeon wall? Gray is a natural choice and it’s fine to start with a flat gray primer coat, but the second coat needs to have hints of blue to encourage participation in the game. Sherwin-Williams Charcoal Blue SW 2739 is a great choice.
It will look gray like a dungeon wall in low light but show hints of blue in strong light.
Best Shade of Blue Paint to Pair with a Basement Tropical Hideaway: Honorable Blue 6811
Source: Sherwin-Williams
People who live in especially cold climates usually want to get away from snow and ice. Some create a tropical paradise in their basements. Sherwin-Williams Honorable Blue 6811 is an energetic and bold choice for a warm and warming design featuring loud tropic colors.
Best Shade of Blue Paint to Complement Pine: Let It Rain SW 9152
Source: Sherwin-Williams
Many homes have pine paneling and pine furniture. A great color for walls and ceiling in basements with lots of pine is Best Blue: Sherwin-Williams Let it Rain SW 9152. This pain combines an invigorating blue with a calming gray.
The combination generates a relaxing and restorative feel. It’s a great color for balancing wooden floors and cabinets and for reflecting blues and grays in marble and slate. This blue works especially well with pine floors.
Best Shade of Blue Paint for Basement Ceilings: Sky High SW 6504
Source: Sherwin-Williams
If you want a shade of blue paint that calmly affirms “Yes, this blue” without screaming it loud and clear, Sherwin- Williams Sky High SW 6504 is a good choice. It’s bright enough for use on a ceiling, but it’s dark enough to be calming. It’s a good choice if your furniture is upholstered in browns or reds or darker, bolder blues like navy.
Source: Sherwin-Williams
Sherwin- Williams Naval SW 6244 is a deep hue of blue that would not work in most basements, but some basements are flooded with light, either to accommodate a hobby or to assist members of the household who have limited vision. In conditions of intense illumination, this blue is a great choice for trimming white or off-white walls. It won’t work in a basement that isn’t well lit.
Best Shade of Blue Paint for Basement Bedrooms: Soft Turquoise Satin Low Odor Interior Paint and Primer in One P460-3
Source: Behr
Basement bedrooms are a place where you can go darker and richer in color. After all, a bedroom is a place where you sleep, and not a place that usually needs to be well-lit. Behr Soft Turquoise Satin Low Odor Interior Paint and Primer in One P460-3 has just a hint of purple to encourage pillow talk but gives the bedroom a feeling of being fresh and clean.
It’s OK for both walls and ceilings in basement bedrooms.
Best Shades of Blue Paint for a Basement Playroom for the Kids (1 and 2): Essex Blue S500-2 and After Rain M520-2
Source: Behr
Source: Behr
Many families choose to put the kids’ playroom to keep upper floors uncluttered (and quieter). It’s OK for the basement playroom to have its own color scheme, and one of the best colors for a children’s playroom is blue. Behr Essex Blue S500-2 is an eggshell blue that reflects light from lamps and gives the basement a happier vibe.
It’s a color that stimulates interaction but helps keep children calm. Behr After Rain M520-2 is ever so slightly brighter and adds just a little tension, but in an energizing way.
Best Shade of Blue Paint for a Basement Play Room for the Kids (3): Water’s Edge 1635
Source: Benjamin Moore
Children can be hard on paint. They chip it, scratch it, draw on it, and generally break it down. Lacquer paints are a great way to kid-proof your paint, but not every shade of blue looks good in lacquer.
Moore Water’s Edge 1635 is a tough, pale blue that looks good in a lacquer finish and brings a hint of sunny skies to the basement playroom. Of course, not everyone likes lacquer.
Best Shade of Blue Paint for a Basement Media Room: Charcoal Plum T16-15
Source: Behr
Ordinarily, the rule for choosing paint for basements is “Lighter is better.” But for a basement media room, the rule could be “Darker is OK.” You want your basement media room to be a place where the screen in the focus of attention.
The dark charcoal, purple, and blue of Behr Charcoal Plum T16-15 will seem more charcoal than purple or blue in basement light, but this grayish-blue paint has enough of the brighter colors to keep the mood from becoming gloomy. It gives your basement a “cave” feeling that enhances your viewing experience.
Best Shade of Blue Paint for Counteracting Addiction: Van Deusen Blue HC-156
Source: Benjamin Moore
Benjamin Moore Van Deusen Blue HC-156 is a timeless blue that has been on the market since the American Bicentennial in 1976. With its black undertones, it is great for adding the perception of depth to basement walls. It also counteracts appetites of many kinds and kills the mood for overindulgence.
Best Shade of Blue Paint for Fantasy Theme: Luxe Blue SW 6537
Source: Sherwin-Williams
Sherwin-Williams Luxe Blue SW 6537 is a great background for textured fabrics and rattan furniture. It lends a far-away vibe to basements decorated on a fantasy theme.
Best Shade of Blue Paint for Basements with a 420 Theme: New York State of Mind 805
Source: Benjamin Moore
Even though pot is increasingly legal, it still tends to be a discreet activity. Benjamin Moore’s New York State of Mind 805 sets the mood for cannabis with its dark blues relaxing the room and its oranges and greens reflecting the colors most associated with the herb.
Best Shade of Blue Paint for Basements with a Mural Wall: Jet Stream 814
Source: Benjamin Moore
A surprising number of homes have murals that tell the family story, or serve as a focus of religious devotion, or celebrate a member of the family’s artistic talents. Benjamin Moore Jet Stream Blue 814 directs eyes forward away from the walls on either side to focus on the mural wall. It is a great signpost for wall art of all kinds.
Best Shade of Blue Paint If Your Basement Is Where You Drink: Antique Seafoam Pearl 470A-2
Source: Behr
Behr Antique Seafoam Pearl 470A-2 is a calm mixture of browns and blues that redirect the eyes to the nose. If one of the uses of your kitchen is sipping a fine liqueur or sharing a great bottle of wine with friends, this is a great shade of blue to keep the focus on the drink while keeping interactions calm.
Best Almost-White Shade of Blue Paint for Basements: Alabaster SW 7008
Source: Sherwin-Williams
If you are looking for a shade of blue that is almost white, consider Sherwin-Williams Alabaster SW 7008. It has hints of blue, gray, and purple that trick the eyes into seeing it as white when it viewed by itself and seeing it as gray or blue when it is viewed next to furniture or wall art.
Best Shade of Blue Paint for an Unfinished Basement: Snowbound SW 7004
Source: Sherwin-Williams
Not every basement is finished. Unfinished basements still make great storage rooms, playrooms, and laundry rooms. It’s always better to paint the walls of an unfinished basement, and not just for aesthetic purposes.
Lightening up the walls of an unfinished basement with paint helps to protect them from moisture and mildew and makes it easier to spot moisture and mildew when they occur. The default color for unfinished basements is bright white, but a splash of blue is less distracting. Sherwin-Williams Snowbound SW 7004 could be described as a very light blue or as a white with tones of blue and greige.
It is just warm enough to impart a more relaxed vibe to the basement, but bright enough to reduce the need for lighting.
