Navy Blue Decor: Contrasts and Accents That Create Drama

So you’ve just decked out your living room with a fresh coat of paint or some new statement pieces of furniture, opting for a navy blue color scheme. Navy blue decor can have a variety of effects, at once feeling inviting, formal, and natural, making it an excellent choice for a color scheme. But you can’t fill a room with just one color, so you need to be aware of what colors go with navy blue home decor; then, you can adequately complement the baseline color scheme of the space. We’ve put together this blog to explain some of the renowned navy blue color combinations and give examples of the items you can use to incorporate them and truly bring out the best in your newly decorated space.

Red and Navy Blue might be for You

Red and blue – a color conflict as old as time that can still look amazing when used properly with one another. Color schemes with navy blue as the baseline can infuse with touches of red to bring out pops of passion and liveliness, while you can utilize other shades around the space to make the contrast less jarring. A red tablecloth on a dining table is a great way to infuse some extra personality into your dinner party decor. In contrast, red cushions and pillows can make bedding sets and sofas feel more visually impactful. Don’t overdo it on red elements; focus on soft furnishings to complement more prominent navy elements. 

Photo by Max Rahubovskiy from Pexels

Insight – Use brighter colors to accent navy blue: With brighter, more impactful colors like greens, reds, and gold use smaller elements that will pop against the navy rather than curating combative larger pieces. 

Continue Reading: How to Host a Dinner Party: 5 Steps to a Memorable Evening

Navy Blue and Green Looks Rather Serene

We believe that blue and green should be seen! This may be slightly controversial, but navy blue and green can work well in home settings if carefully placed and considered. Bringing in bright, fresh greens can help to curate a lively, natural feel in a living room or bedroom, partnering well with natural light to have a comforting biophilic effect. With this navy blue color combination, green should be used sparingly but effectively, with tones and shades carefully considered. The greens you use should accent the navy blue features of the room, so consider pieces of artwork, smaller decorative features, and even lovely houseplants to create the effect. 

Photo by Veronique Trudel from Unsplash

Insight – Simple is effective: Don’t crowd a small space with too many contrasting colors. Using a few more shades of blue to add some visual texture works, but don’t overdo it. 

Read more: How To Incorporate Biophilic Design Into Your Home

Navy Home Decor: Say Hello to Navy Blue and Yellow

This is another classic combination, with the bright, warm tones of yellow contrasting nicely with the calmer, more subdued feel of navy blue. Using a dark navy base with bold mustard yellow pieces is a great way to make decor elements stand out and draw focus in a room, while softer, more delicate tones of yellow can complement light navy blue pieces less dramatically. The living room is a great place to experiment with this combination, with mustard yellow sofas standing out stunningly against navy blue walls. Similarly, soft yellow furnishings in a bedroom dominated by navy blue can help breathe some life and energy into a space.

Photo by Houzlook from Pexels

Navy Home Decor: Neutral, Natural, and Navy 

The navy color palette is often selected for its calming, soothing feel, and an excellent way to keep this sense of ease consistent is by populating a navy blue space with neutral, natural tones. By this, we mean elements of natural wood, wicker, rattan, leather, and even stone to sustain a sense of relaxation and ease in your space. The colors of the materials above all mesh well with navy blue, but it’s essential to maintain a sense of contrast to ensure that the pieces get the focus that they deserve in the space. Choose lighter straw-like tones for wicker chairs, go as dark as possible with a leather sofa, and pick a wooden table with a complex grain to ensure the room doesn’t feel one note.

Photo by Elena Popova from Unsplash

Navy Home Decor: Go Bold with Gold

When figuring out what interior design style you connect with, you might lean toward a more regal, glamorous direction, which is where this combination comes in. Accenting a navy blue color palette with golden features is a great way to enliven a space, with metallic golds bringing in a bright, reflective touch that contrasts nicely with bases of dark blues. Too much gold in any context is a nono, but if you carefully consider pieces, the flashes of gold will have a stunning effect. Consider tables with golden legs, golden frames for pictures and paintings, or even a gold-rimmed mirror to help increase the sense of space in a room. Don’t go over the top, but flashes of gold can have a significant effect.

Photo by Max Rahubovskiy from Pexels

White and Blue for a Nautical Theme

This is perhaps the most traditionally “naval” navy blue color combination, eliciting images of maritime work and nautical imagery. It’s a classic for good reason, creating a clean and crisp contrast that lends itself to almost any room of the house. The juxtaposition of the deep tones of navy blue and crisp, clean white shades makes for a very classy yet comforting effect. In a navy blue painted kitchen, white tables and worktops can shine and stand out, while adorning a white living room with rich navy sofas and chairs creates a highly inviting sense for making yourself and any guests feel comfortable. Blue cabinets, blinds, or even towels can be a great way to make a white bathroom feel less clinical and more balanced, channeling the principles of Lagom design. 

Photo by Max Rahubovskiy from Pexels

Insight – Consider the vibe: Are you trying to make a room feel glamorous, impressive, and dramatic, or relaxed, inviting, and comfortable? Being able to distinguish between these vibes will inform your color choices.

For More Info: Lagom for the Home – What Is It and Why Is It Good for You?

What Now

Navy blue is a color with multiple different interpretations. It can be dramatic and calming, regal and homely, natural and carefully considered. The colors you choose to surround it with will define how navy blue operates within your home, so make sure you have a firm idea of what you want to curate before you start populating your home with this deep, powerful color. We hope that by reading this, you feel more confident using navy blue decor in your home, but if not, don’t fret; there’s a whole world of color out there!

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