Palette & Paints: Greek-Inspired Cerulean and Aegean Blues

We set out to find the perfect Grecian blue, and settled on a range of hues: the cerulean blue of the dome-capped buildings; the sun-faded, almost purple blues seen on doors and shutters, and, of course, the mesmerizing blue-greens of the sea. Here are paints that capture the spectrum:

Photography by Meredith Swinehart. 

Above: Top row, left to right: Ralph Lauren Blue Reef; Benjamin Moore Paddington Blue; Benjamin Moore Blue Dragon; and Benjamin Moore Lucerne. Bottom row: Benjamin Moore Seaport Blue; Farrow & Ball Pitch Blue; Benjamin Moore Naples Blue; and Farrow & Ball Stone Blue. 

Above: Ralph Lauren Blue Reef lies on the dark end of RL’s Mediterranean blues spectrum; see the rest in a Gio Ponti-Inspired Color Palette from Eve Ashcraft. 

Above: Benjamin Moore’s Paddington Blue is the darkest, boldest Greek blue in our collection. (Note that it leans more purple than teal.)

Above: Blue Dragon from Benjamin Moore is described as taking its inspiration from the Greek Isles. It’s a warmer, lighter blue than Paddington. 

Above: Benjamin Moore’s Lucerne is a dark teal blue, the color of the Aegean darkened by rocks.

Above: Benjamin Moore’s Seaport Blue is the truest cerulean blue of the bunch. (It’s slightly more teal than Reef Blue.) 

Above: Farrow & Ball’s Pitch Blue is the warmest color–the most purple–of those shown here. It looks ideal for a blue stucco wall.

Above: Naples Blue from Benjamin Moore is the greenest of the blues shown here; it’s reminiscent of the often-green waters of the Aegean.

Above: A faded teal, Farrow & Ball’s Stone Blue is the lightest color in our group (stone blue is an 18th century nickname for indigo).

Find more paint color inspiration in our Palette & Paints posts, including India-Inspired Paint Colors; Jade and Celadon Green; and the Best Pink Paints. On Gardenista, see Architects Pick the Best Exterior Green Paints and the Best Red Exterior House Paints.