Teal is one of my favorite paint colors. It strikes the perfect balance between calming blue and energizing green. And as a big green lover myself, teal is typically what I’ll reach for when someone asks for “blue”, much to their chagrin. Adding a little bit of green to blue does a beautiful thing—it keeps it from feeling as cool, chalky, and lifeless as blue paint can sometimes be.
And that’s because many blue paint colors are mixed with a gray undertone that in dim light will just make the blue look, well… gray. And when I want color, I want color. So without further adieu, here are my five favorite teal paint colors, including the one I chose for my parents’ bedroom built-ins.
Benjamin Moore Gentleman’s Gray
If you’re looking for a dark navy with just enough green to lean teal in direct sunlight, BM Gentleman’s Gray is the perfect paint color for you. It’s dark, moody, and sophisticated. And with a Light Reflectance Value (LRV) of 7.26, prepare for it to look almost black in shadowy corners. There’s nothing else quite like it on the market, which explains why it’s one of Benjamin Moore’s best selling colors.
Benjamin Moore Mallard Green
If you want a bolder, more pigmented dark teal, BM Mallard Green is a great option. With an LRV of 7.74, this color is technically as dark as BM Gentleman’s Gray but much more colorful. It’s vibrant enough to look almost peacock-like in direct sunlight like in the kitchen above, but it has enough of a gray undertone to help it feel subdued, relaxing, and sophisticated. Benjamin Moore describes Mallard Green as having “the effortless elegance of an old, luxurious study.”
Benjamin Moore Yorktowne Green
For a teal that’s slightly lighter (LRV of 11.1) and greener than BM Gentleman’s Gray, look to BM Yorktowne Green, also known as BM Vanderberg Blue. It has well-balanced notes of blue, green, and gray, so it will change throughout the day in different lights between the three like a chameleon. BM Yorktowne Green is also part of Benjamin Moore’s Historical Colors collection, which means that it’s based on tried and true paint colors of the past.
Farrow & Ball Inchyra Blue
One more step up in lightness from BM Yorktowne Green is Farrow & Ball’s Inchyra Blue, sitting at an LRV of approximately 13. This is the teal I chose for my parents’ bedroom built-ins because I wanted something dark, moody, and library-like in the shade but still vibrant and cheerful with the sun streaming through the windows. I love how the color changes throughout the day and in different lights, and you can see how the lights and shadows affect the color in the image of the built-ins above.
Sherwin-Williams Cascades
And last, we have one of my favorite peacock teals, SW Cascades. It’s dark but so pigmented and lush, and especially when used with a higher sheen paint like in the mudroom above, it can make a room feel like a jewel box. With an LRV of just 4, SW Cascades is the darkest of the bunch, but its saturation doesn’t make it feel as dark as it might otherwise. Sherwin-Williams says it gives a “sophisticated mystique to any space,” and I personally think it would look perfect in high gloss paint on a home bar.
I hope this guide was helpful to you as you search for your perfect teal paint color! For more free color suggestions, check out the rest of my favorite paint colors.
