Paint Color Review: Benjamin Moore Hale Navy HC-154

Last Updated on January 15, 2025 by Vannessa Rhoades, Three Bears Home Staging

If you’ve been searching for the ideal navy blue, your search may be over! Meet Benjamin Moore Hale Navy HC-154, a classic dark blue shade that works well on everything from front doors and exteriors to cabinets and walls. Let’s examine this moody blue’s spectral data to see if it’s a good fit for you.

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What Color is Hale Navy? Does Hale Navy Look Black? Does Hale Navy Look Purple?

The way a paint color looks on the wall is somewhat subjective. This is because a person’s perception will be heavily influenced by lighting and context (and their own individual color acuity). To answer these questions more objectively, we like to evaluate a paint color’s spectral data (things like hue and chroma). Spectral data is not subjective or based on opinion; it can be objectively and scientifically calculated using colorimeters and spectrophotometers. Understanding a color’s spectral data can help us accurately predict how it will render on the wall.

Hue

For example, hue (or hue family) refers to the area where a particular color lives on the color wheel – red, yellow, blue, green, etc. All colors, even the ones that seem to be neutral, belong to a hue family. (It’s sometimes just a lot harder to see on whites, blacks, and grays). According to the CIE-L*Ch spectral data for Benjamin Moore Hale Navy, it has a hue angle of 268.477°, putting it in the Purple-Blue hue family. It’s possible might notice a tiny hint of this purple in certain qualities of light, but it’s toned down by a pretty healthy dose of gray. In an interior room, most people would probably describe Hale Navy as a classic, dark navy blue. 

Chroma

Chroma, another piece of spectral data, is a measure of a paint color’s vividness or saturation. Hale Navy has a somewhat low overall chroma value (6.914). What does this mean? Essentially, it means that Hale Navy still looks blue, even in low-light situations, but it’s tempered with enough black to keep the blue quite mellow and not at all bright. In direct sunlight or a well-lit room, you may see those purply blue hues start to show up a bit more. That said, Hale Navy’s chroma is not as low as some other popular navy blues. In short, when it comes to navy blue paint colors, it’s not the blackest navy blue paint, nor is it the bluest. For comparison, Hale Navy is a more colorful, “bluer” blue than Sherwin-Williams Cyberspace, but not as colorful a blue as Sherwin-Williams Salty Dog.

Is Hale Navy Warm or Cool?

Because it’s in the Purple-Blue hue family, Hale Navy is naturally a cool paint color.

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What Is the LRV of Hale Navy?

Light Reflectance Value (LRV) is a measure of how much light a paint reflects into a room, with 100% being highly reflective and zero being not reflective at all. With an LRV of 8.36, Hale Navy is quite dark but still brighter than several other popular dark blues, like Sherwin-Williams Cyberspace 7076 (LRV=6) or Sherwin-Williams Naval 6244 (LRV=4).

Effects of Interior Lighting on Hale Navy

It’s important to remember the way a color acts in any space is highly influenced by the lighting as well as the surroundings in it. Because this color absorbs so much of the light thrown at it, you may not notice the effects of your lighting as strongly as you would with a lighter-colored paint. Be sure to always use light bulbs in the 3000 K to 3500 K color range for best results. 

See Related: How to Choose the Right Light Bulb for Home Staging

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Effects of Exterior Light on Hale Navy

When it comes to exterior light, remember that the quality of light changes throughout the day as the sun moves. 

• Rooms with a northern exposure: The cool and gray light will enhance Hale Navy’s grayness, giving it a deep, almost black look. 
• Rooms with a southern exposure: The warmth of south-facing light will downplay the gray, allowing the blue to stand out. 
• Rooms with an eastern exposure: Expect warm morning light and shadowy afternoons to transform Hale Navy. It’s a bit of a chameleon, appearing bluer in the morning and gradually darkening by evening. 
• Rooms with a western exposure: West-facing light starts passive in the morning but becomes warm in the afternoon, creating a shift in Hale Navy’s appearance, albeit in the opposite direction compared to an east-facing room.

Be sure to view a sample of this color on all walls and in a variety of artificial and natural light.

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Which White Goes With Hale Navy?

This classic navy blue paint color looks beautiful partnered with clean white paint. We like Benjamin Moore White Dove, Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace, or Sherwin-Williams Extra White.

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What Coordinating Colors Go Well With Hale Navy?

Hale Navy is a very flexible paint color that works well with many other hues. It’s especially pretty with greige and tan paint colors, whites, and some creams (nothing too yellow). It also looks beautiful with other paint colors from the Blue hue family. We’ve put together a sample Sherwin-Williams Hale Navy color palette below just for fun and to give you a visual of what coordinating colors might look like. Use what inspires you!

Is Hale Navy a Good cabinet Color?

Yes! Hale Navy cabinets and kitchen islands are beautiful. The key is making sure that it complements (not competes with) your countertops and backsplash. If you’re a person who loves color and isn’t planning to sell your home anytime soon, go for it! If you’re feeling a little adventurous but not yet ready to cover all your cabinets in blue, consider using it on only a kitchen island or a bathroom vanity. It makes a fantastic accent color and looks great mixed in with whites and wood tones.

Photo by Kountry Kraft – Look for kitchen design inspiration

Is Hale Navy a Good Exterior Paint Color? Is Hale Navy a Good Front Door Color?

Hale Navy can be gorgeous on a home exterior if it suits your home’s other exterior features (it might be a little much for some types of brick and stone). Remember, lower LRV colors, like Hale Navy, tend to fade a lot faster in the sun compared to higher LRV colors. If your home is located in the southern United States or gets a lot of direct sunlight (and you don’t want to re-paint it frequently), this may be a point to consider. Another point to keep in mind is that Hale Navy’s slight purple-blue hue will be much more obvious in outdoor light than it is in any indoor space. Therefore, it’s essential to view paper samples on the exterior wall before painting. (Become a virtual color consultation client, and we’ll send you samples for FREE!)

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If you love this color but aren’t sure you want an entirely navy blue exterior, consider using it as an accent color! A Hale Navy front door or shutters can be a gorgeous design statement.

Photo by Allison Merritt Design, LLC – Look for entryway pictures

What Other Paint Colors Are Similar to Hale Navy?

Again, I never recommend color matching between brands. You cannot color match between brands and expect to get identical results. That said, if you’re looking for dupes in another brand, there are options. Based on their spectral data (hue, chroma, value), these colors have a vibe that’s comparable to Cyberspace: 

• Sherwin-Williams Sea Mariner 9640 (available in the Emerald Designer Edition)
• Sherwin-Williams Charcoal Blue 2739
• Behr N480-7 Midnight Blue
• PPG Soothing Sapphire PPG10-09

How Does Benjamin Moore Hale Navy Compare to Other Popular Paint Colors?

If you’re on the hunt for the perfect navy blue, you’ve probably run across some others you’re considering. Here’s how they compare:

Hale Navy vs Naval

Sherwin-Williams Naval 6244 is a popular shade and very similar in hue to Naval. Naval is technically the darker of the two (it has an LRV of 4 compared to Hale Navy’s LRV of 8), but what you’ll more likely notice is the difference in chroma. Naval is a more vibrant blue, whereas Hale Navy is a grayer, more subdued blue. If you’re looking for a more neutral navy blue, go with Hale Navy.

Hale Navy vs Cyberspace

Sherwin-Williams Cyberspace 7076 is a slightly darker (LRV 6) and “grayer” navy color. Hale Navy, on the other hand, has a higher chroma value than Cyberspace (6.914 vs. 3.323), making it a slightly more vivid, saturated color. If you’re looking for a more flexible, neutral navy that only hints at blue, Cyberspace might be a more versatile choice.

Hale Navy vs Newburyport Blue

Benjamin Moore Newburyport Blue HC-155 is quite similar in terms of hue angle, but brighter than Hale Navy. More specifically, it has a higher LRV (10.31 vs 8.36) and a higher chroma value (10.869 vs 6.914), which means Newburyport Blue looks a bit lighter, bluer, and less gray by comparison.

Need Help Choosing a Color?

Need help finding the right paint color? Order a Virtual Color Consultation Report from the color professionals at Three Bears Home Staging to get a custom, curated palette and guidance for your next painting project.