The Quest for the Perfect Robin’s Egg Blue

By Kate Riley January 23, 2012

I spent this weekend prepping and priming a dresser for a good friend in anticipation of painting it for her daughter’s room.  We’re sprucing up the space and repurposing some furniture and since the walls and daybed are white, I thought it would be absolute perfection if we painted the dresser robin’s egg blue. So off I went in search of the absolute perfect shade. 

I adore this color so much I even use a version of it as a background on the ol’ blog. It’s that blueish with a bit of green and gray shade that in my opinion just makes the world a better place. It’s not turquoise or aqua, but not pastel or too green either.  Kind of airy and watery but not as bright as Tiffany blue, and always so so pretty when done right. I’m a total sucker for anything painted robin’s egg blue.

Like this console.

morgan harrison home buffet

via Morgan Harrison Home

  

Or these floors.

armelle blog robins nest

via Armelle blog

 

Or this ceiling. 

house beautiful robins egg blue walls

via House Beautiful

 

I have a bunch of fan decks that I keep on hand and I do believe it may be a real sickness because not only do I prize my collection of fan decks but I also collect paint swatches everywhere I go, especially in shades of blue and green, being my favorites and all. I can’t help it. So I picked up a few more samples from brands I didn’t have around town on Saturday and then started to narrow it down.

robins egg blue paint samples

Moooo haw haaawww, my collection of paint swatches !!!!!!!

See, I told you. Sickness.

I obsess over choosing the right paint color and I can always use a second opinion so Coco got in on the action.  “This one… no this one… “

crazy coco picking paint samples

Here I thought she’d be helpful but she really is so fickle. I’m not sure she’ll make a great decorator, despite being born with perfect stripes. *sigh*

Over coffee on Sunday I started to whittle down my favorites and yes it’s true, I wholeheartedly admit comparing paint swatches is my idea of a really good time.  

robins egg blue paint colors

 

These were all gorgeous, but a little too saturated and closer to Tiffany Blue.

tiffany blue paint colors

 

Then I regrouped and started narrowing down some favorites, eliminating ones that were too green…

closer to robins egg blue

 

And then finally narrowed it down to these five favorites:

top five robins egg blue paint colors

 

Because this is the ultimate color we’re going for…

robins egg blue dresser somerset bay cotton candy

via

Gorgeous right?

What about you? Have you discovered the perfect shade of robin’s egg blue?  Do you obsess over paint colors as much as I do?  Do share in a comment, I value your color suggestions, and more importantly, validation.

xo,

kate signature image

 

 

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199 comments

  1. i love watery but i also really love wedgewood gray by ben moore as well as wythe blue by ben moore! can’t wait to see your finished piece!

  2. I love this post. I painted my upstairs living area robins egg blue after being inspired by a look in Domino. Ugh, it turned out all wrong. I have to wait to repaint, but the color is a little too baby’s room. I am going to bookmark your colors. I hope you will share which one worked out! xo

  3. IMO I think I have found the perfect blue. Its was a BM color but our BM doesn’t have lacquer. I took the BM color to SW and they mixed it for me. Where can I send you a picture?

  4. Great choices, my daughter’s nursery is painted Bird’s Egg and I loved it so much I used it again on the ceiling of my other daughter’s room. It can read a little Tiffany Blue depending on the light…………..so keep that in mind for the final selection.

    Good Luck

  5. Oh Kate, don’t do this to me, I have just chosen the color for my son’s dresser. Or maybe not, that Swan Sea looks pretty. No, really, I have chosen, after spending HOURS deciding. Oh crap. Now I like thunderbird.

  6. You are correct, that dresser is perfectly gorgeous! Blue is one of my favorites too. In fact, my bedroom in my previous house was the perfect shade of sky blue. It was so hard to perfect though. I thought I had chosen the perfect color and had it all over the walls but afer sleeping with it one overnight I decided it was too “circusy.” My paint guy still teases me about that…circusy. He will ask me almost every time I get ready to buy paint ”this isn’t ‘circusy’ is it?” I finally found a swatch of fabric and took it down there and had it computer matched. Why don’t you do that with this picture? Sometimes there is just no other way…you have to create your own color. Good Luck!

  7. I painted my home office exactly as that blue kitchen in the House Beautiful picture you have – Benjamin Moore’s Woodlawn Blue on the ceiling and I love it. What was ironic is I found out my mother had painted her living room the same exact color back in 1977!

  8. I found the perfect shade of Robin Egg’s blue to be Celtic Gray (I think it’s by Valspar, but when I went to fetch my swatch, I couldn’t find it – agh!). It’s not quite as bright, maybe, but definitely not gray at all – it’s on my bedroom walls & I love it!

  9. Wow you have a lot of paint swatches. I certainly obsess when picking a color, I just want it to be right the first time, ya know? I also don’t want to repaint or have to buy more paint. I love all of your 5 choices. In my opinion 4 & 5 seem lighter with an airier feeling. And 1 & 2 seem more saturated with color. I think 3 might be a nice middle ground and might be close to the color you are looking for. I’m wondering if on any of the sources they shared their paint choice? Anyway good luck, I do hope we’ll get to see what you chose because I would like to have the perfect robins egg blue on hand!

  10. I painted my daughter’s room Watery a couple of years ago after going through countless samples. I love love love the end result though! It did end up being just a tad brighter than the card. It ended up being closer the what the Birds Egg card in your picture looks like on my computer. Definitely brighter than the dresser, although I assume that has a dark wax finish over it anyway.

  11. Robin’s Egg Blue is my FAVORITE color. I have it in touches all over my home. Anything in that color makes me stop in my tracks. Yes…I do obsess about picking the right color. Often as soon as I decide and start painting, I actually panic that I picked the wrong color. For the most part I love what I have chosen as soon as I finish all of the walls. I just painted my new home gym (which I revealed this morning on my blog) in Palladian Blue. It’s one shade lighter than Wythe Blue which was a bit too saturated for a home gym in the basement with little natural light. The Palladian Blue was perfect…a gorgeous blue/green. I hope you will check it out…I completely value your opinion.

  12. Oh my gosh, I love playing with paint swatches too! Watery is one of my favorite go-to colors! But I think in the end, there is not really just one perfect color. I’m sure any number of them would be perfect!

  13. Just wanted to throw one more tried and true color your way.. and I think I actually saw it in the top left of one of your photos.. American Traditions Signature- Peaceful. Beautiful color!!! More blue than green but enough green/grey to give it sophistication. All the ones you mentioned were very close contenders for me as we painted our master bedroom but they all some value I wasn’t completely happy with. I finally settled on this one and I couldn’t be happier!!

    I will be using it to paint a dresser turned craft storage chest in the next few weeks, myself!

  14. I’ve been on the quest for this perfect color too, so I’m glad to see this post! I agree, there’s just something about that color that makes a room smile. Swan sea seems like it may be too dark, but that all depends on what else is going in the room to bounce off it (quilt, accessories….). I would bring the swatches in the room next to any other accent colors to see which one works best.

  15. Tracie, your paint colors look beautiful! I love the blue and brown together.

    Kate, I love this color also. And the shades you’ve selected are so elegant-fun. I do think the last dresser you said you were aiming for looks very different from the prior examples. The first ones are so clear and the latter is more muddied. But boy are they beautiful!

  16. I have not found the perfect shade of robin’s egg blue, but I do go crazy over paint colors. The colors you narrowed it down to look great, but of course until you actually test the paint you can’t tell for sure. Love the color choice though. Good luck and please share your final decision!

  17. I was obsessed with finding a robins egg blue to paint my master bath and kitchen in my new home. I think I found it with SW Copen Blue…. Have you seen it? LOVE!

  18. I’m liking the SW Watery also. Some of the others are reading a bit bright. Are you using a dark glaze as the piece pictured appears?

    • Hi Kathy, yep considered Duck Egg, it seems a little green and intense for what I’m going for…… but I suppose I could whiten it with Old White…. not sure I want to buy another quart of ASCP for just this project… all these considerations!
      Kate

  19. I had to just laugh when I read this Kate because you are not alone. I’m the same way and I tell my husband I’m just “hyper color sensitive”. LOL! The people at the paint store hate to see me coming because I get in the back with them and tell them that I want 50% this color, 25% of this and 25% of that! However, it usually pays off and I get exactly what I’m looking for… Eventually! Ha! A trick I use if I find a color that is just a tad off, like too blue and I need a little more green to off set, I will find a second close color that may have just a tad more of the green and have the colors mixed 50/50 and I get closer than I can find on a card. Half of my house is this crazy custom mix! Good luck girl!

  20. Paint swatches make me happy. Is that weird? I love that you let CoCo in on the swatch action. Maybe she’ll be a good apprentice yet. Love the ceiling in that House Beautiful shot! I think you did a good job narrowing them down…that’s one thing I am not good at-making the choice!

  21. I debated this same thing about a year ago and narrowed it down to Martha Stewart Robin’s Egg Blue, Pratt & Lambert Skylit and BM Bird’s Egg, Palladian Blue and Wyeth Blue (links to rooms in all these colors here: http://honeyandfitz.blogspot.com/2010/11/robins-egg-blue-i-love-you.html#axzz1kCiFVLeF ) BM Antiguan Sky is also really nice. Ultimately I landed on BM Bird’s Egg for my campaign dresser and I love the way it turned out.
    http://honeyandfitz.blogspot.com/2011/08/before-and-after-campaign-dresser.html#axzz1VmyRZmeZ

    Such a great color…it’s perfect on a dresser. Can’t wait to see!

  22. Delicious post! I firmly support your swatch collecting and admire your collection! Sickness – no way! A tool for creativity – ABSOLUTELY! Call me an enabler if you must but I *love* your blog, your decorating, your style …so getting a glimpse into your method of choosing that perfect shade is inspiring! I can’t wait to see the finished product :)

  23. I vote SW Watery – My favorite go to for Robin’s Egg Blue…it is clean and not too green, but has enough depth of color that it isn’t “flat”. Looking forward to seeing the completed project!

  24. That pile looks just like the one that I had while narrowing down the color for our home!

    We went with option number 5 – BM’s Bird’s Egg. I love it and we a ton of compliments on it. We used it in our living room and hallway so it is the first color you see when you walk into our house. It is also the color of our front door.

    This is a pretty good glimpse of the color in real life: http://directionsnotincluded.blogspot.com/2012/01/fabric-wreath-tutorial.html

  25. I have an addiction for paint swatches also….and yes sorting through them makes me smile!

  26. I love paint swatches, I go to the paint store just to collect them. I doesn’t matter if I am working on a project or not. I love BM blues, I have found them to always have exactly what I am looking for. I have also had good luck with having my colors matched with the fabric I have to have. I love your blog and your projects always inspire me!.

  27. My favorite colors!!!! We just painted our kitchen in Milk Pail by Martha Stewart- it’s a dirty robins egg blue- I ♥ it!!!

  28. YES!!! Only obsessed isn’t my word–freaked out by it, is mine. I have made some mistakes before and for some reason those memories are more powerful than the GREAT paint decisions I’ve made. I want a robin’s egg blue for my bathroom right now–PLEASE let us know what you decide!! Checking out the other suggestions too. ps–I love that dresser–seems I eyeballed it once also–is it Ballards?? love it!!

  29. I used Sherwin William’s “Cay” blue, SW6772, on my daughter’s dresser and I get all kinds of compliments on it. One day, I’ll probably paint an entire room that color.

  30. There needs to be a paint color choosing support group somewhere…. I do the same thing – obsess! Right now I’m trying to choose a color that will coordinate with my 10 yo sons Bruins fathead… we are trying to compromise on color b/c the ‘bruins gold’ at home depot is a but much for me! I have Ben Moore Wythe blue in our FR and Love it!!

  31. oh girl!! you speak my language! you had me at Robin’s Egg- *sigh*

    And so fun- I was at the Dallas Market this weekend and saw that lamp that is in your last photo.

  32. Have you tried SW Rainwashed? It looks really green on the swatch, but once I got it up on the wall, it magically transformed into the perfect blue for me. Can’t wait to hear what you decide!

  33. I love these blue-greens too. I confess I spent a year thinking about the paint color for my bedroom. I went with BM’s Woodlawn Blue and I love it! People walk in and say, it’s such an incredible color! I try very hard not to tell them how long it took me to choose it. We will soon be moving, luckily, I already know what color to paint the next master bedroom.

  34. Oh, I soooooo understand. I usually try for just a sample or smallest amount possible. Go home home paint part of a wall or two and wait. Look at it once it is dry. Check out how it is with the light for that particular room, etc. If it takes several trips to the paint store so be it. I at least know I gave it my best shot.
    I also think blue is tough———so many shades, getting it just right is difficult. I actually have a room I am wanting to pain a very light blue, also. I have been procrasinating and collecting paint chips. :)
    I am jealous of those people who can look at the color and start mixing/adding colors on their own to get just the right shade. I can see that it needs to be darker or lighter but cannot see what colors to add. I have a friend who is great at it.

  35. I just painted my living room this weekend in, what I think, is the perfect “Robin’s Egg” blue. The color is Glass Tile from the Valspar Signature line at Lowes. It came out perfectly! Now I can’t wait to accessorize!

    • Hi Danielle, ‘Glass Tile’ was one of my picks too, I liked its gray undertones SOOO much! Now you’ve got me looking at that one again…… :)
      Kate

  36. Yes!!! My favorite color!! I painted my laundry room and a wall in my living room Comfort Gray by Sherwin Williams (SW 6205). It is a perfect light grayish aqua and I stole the idea from The Nester’s front sitting room. My son’s room is Frozen Pond by Behr (UL220-15) which is a deeper tone but really gorgeous. Out of your swatches I think I’d go with Watery. Can’t wait to see the dresser!

  37. The quest never ends!!! I’ve seen many awesome rooms/projects that used BM’s Bird’s Egg, so that gets my vote! But I’m saving this post and know I will be sharing it with many, many people! I get so many emails from people wondering about the perfect robin’s egg blue!

  38. One of the first things after moving into my home was to paint my armoire robins egg blue. I absolutley love it. I picked out a color that was a little too saturated, so I ended up mixing some white with it to tone it down. But it turned out lovely.

  39. We went with the SW Meander Blue in our bedroom. We love it. We get compliments from everyone that comes over. We went back and forth trying to find one that wasn’t too blue or too green. All of your narrowed down colors are beautiful. Good luck and can’t wait to see the finished product.

  40. On another topic….the way you have those swatches arranged, it looks like an art piece waiting to be put on the wall. So maybe after your color dilemma you have another project waiting for you.

  41. I love the range of blues from robin’s egg blue to Tiffany blue. I recently painted a Salvation Army found dresser in a pale pale grey blue to coral all my craft supplies. When I got one coat of the pale paint on the dresser, realized it should be blu-ier and retinted it with some blue and black craft paint. Perfect! One of my favorite colors ever.

  42. Yes, totally obsess. Then give up and use tried and true…so the whole house is the same tone….
    What did you use to “antique” the dresser? Looks great!

  43. I absolutely love that first pic from Morgan Harrison Home, with the dark blue painted (?) floors and the buffet in a lighter shade. *Swoo-oon* I searched for the perfect light/robins egg blue for my guest bath and ended up a little brighter than I wanted with all the walls done. Lately I have been obsessing over Navy blues as well. Ahhh, blue. Great post :)

  44. I use Swan Sea by Behr and LOVE it. I can’t wait to see what you pick & the finished room.

  45. YES. I agree – I obsees over the right color – which is WHY I haven’t painted my living room yet – not sure what to match with my wood trim and there are SO few inspiration photos showing wood – everybody has white painted trim…but I just cant do it.
    I painted my bedroom a similar robins egg blue and I swer I spent a month or more picking the color, and now that all the walls are done – it is TOO blue. I still love it, but too blue… thinking of maybe a wash over top, POSSIBLY?
    What will you do on the dresser to get the grayish sheen over the blue paint, like your inspiration dresser?
    THANKS FOR SHARING!!!
    Julie

  46. Your kitty is so cute!!! I cannot wait to see this dresser revamp! I love that we finally realized we can paint furniture any color we want! Makes things fun! (Yes, I used an exclamation point to end every sentence. I’m working on it. :D )

  47. I am totally obsessed with this color as well! My favorite is the Watery from Sherwin. I like a little more grey undertone in it. I love the idea for the dresser!! I am contemplating painting a dresser of mine so I am excited to see how yours turns out! Let us know what you pick! (Oh – and paint colors are totally an obsession! It is such a commitment!)

  48. thanks so much for your color info. i wanted little guy’s room to be that very color, and in my haste chose something (i have no clue what it is) because the painters was buying paint within the hour. oh well….we still have the blue up and i rather like it now, although the dresser at the end is FABULOUS!

  49. Oh Lordy….I did the SAME thing this weekend looking for the same blue. Admittedly, I had fewer paint chips to start with…I love Martha Stewart Aegean Blue…which is a tad greener. When you find the “right” one….please share!

  50. I totally obsess over paint colors. You should see my office right now with about 25 paint swatches taped to the wall and even a few “test colors” painted directly on the wall. I am looking for the perfect light green with a little sage, but not too much. Must coordinate with a sky blue type color as I am going for the green/blue look. We’re painting my daughter’s room this weekend and she is sure about her colors, but I’m not – lol. I still keep looking at more of them and she keeps sticking to her guns.

  51. I worry about using the wrong color too, but not quite as much as you do. However you probably almost always get the exact color you wanted so maybe I should start obsessing like you do. LOL! Out of your final 5 I think swatches #3 and #4 match the dresser the best. #5 is my favorite but it looks like it may be a a little brighter than the dresser, but it could all be my computer monitor. I do love that color blue!

  52. I’ve found that every time I’ve obsessed over swatches, I’ve ended up HATING the color I picked. The paint colors in my home that I love, even years later, are the ones where I said “I think I’ll paint the [insert room] today” and then stopped into Lowe’s, picked a color on the fly, and popped out into the parking lot with the swatch to see it in daylight.
    Never again will I bring a bunch of swatches home and screw around with them. It never works for me!

  53. OoH! I love 3. Watery by sherwin williams!! AH! I have been looking for that perfect blue to! I have two of the same antique dresser you painted white and had by your stairs. I have to do this! I can’t wait to see it!

  54. I LOVE the background colour of your blog!! Even tried to colour match it for my laundry room!! I too am obsessed with this colour – and although I’ve only painted the laundry room in this colour – evreything else in the house is accented in this amazing colour. I can’t resist buying a vase or bowl in this amazing colour. As for your obsession with paint chips, I totally relate – can’t pass the paint chip isle in any home improvement store I visit!!

  55. I agonize over paint color too, we often purxhase 5-6 samplers per room and test them all on each wall. I can say now though, that we are WAY better with all the practice. We rarely bring home a horrible color and the last 2 I bought….only took one try!

  56. I love the SW Watery. Soft and lovely. My go-to color is usually RH Silver Sage. It reminds me of SW Watery.

    When I was a kid my mom used to stare at paint swatches, trying to figure out which whites (of all things) to put together. I thought she was nuts but now I totally do it too. You’re not alone. I have a collection of my most favorite swatches and my cat peed on them this summer (she had recently experienced physical and emotional trauma in the form of a dog attack). It was a little bit heartbreaking.

  57. We painted my girlfriend’s baby nursery birds egg and it was gorgeous. I wasn’t too bright yet had enough color. Though I am a bit biased to Benjamin Moore colors since my husband works for a BM store.

  58. Yes I do obsess about color selection! Robins egg blue would be tricky! I’m a Pittsburg, Manor Hall and Benny Moore girl. I have all the decks though; my vote is the Sherwin Williams “Watery”

  59. Ha! I did this very same thing yesterday! Only I was obsessing over the perfect off white. When I showed my hubby he said “they all look the same!” To which I gasped! He obviously does not share our obsession! :)
    Btw-our bedroom is a robin’s egg blue (forget the exact name, but it is Behr). I LOVE it!

  60. I like Watery and Meander Blue. And, yes, (sigh) I have the same color bug. Obsess forever for THE pefect shade of whatever!

  61. I have never searched for the perfect robins egg blue so i dont have one to offer at this moment. I too obsess over paint colours when it comes to my own home. I am awful thinking about it day and night painting swatches all over the place asking my husbands opinion only to disregard it. I get sick to my stomach rolling on the floor over the agony of colours for SOME rooms. Ok just really this one time but it had me totally flustered. Thats why I painted most of my house white. but even that took come consideration.
    When it comes to picking out colours for others homes – clients, friends or family its a cinch. Doesnt stress me at all.

  62. Robin’s Egg Blue is one of my all time favorite colors, especially when paired with white, so loved your inspiration photos.

    I too obsess over finding the perfect color, so much so that I’ve ended up mixing my own custom shade when I couldn’t find a sample paint that was just right. I have used SW Watery though, in my friend’s sun room. It’s gorgeous! I used SW Raindrop in my children’s bathroom (it’s one shade darker than Meander Blue on the color strip), and it was VERY blue once it was on the walls. I actually kind of wish I had gone with Watery in there too, but it’s a kids bathroom, so bright is okay for now!

  63. Dude – I just painted my kitchen the SW Meander Blue and I love it. I, too, am a blue-green-aqua freak. This weekend I just picked up a gray-blue called Lighthouse for my son’s bedroom. I am sure that left to my own devices every room in our house would end up some shade of blue.

    Check out my meander blue kitchen here…http://www.goldshoegirl.com/search/label/kitchen.

    BTW – I’ve also noticed that your trim color makes a big difference in how a blue looks. The meander blue looks really bright against our oaky trim but it looks perfect against the trim that has been painted white.

  64. Gorgeous. Watery and Meander Blue look just about right (at least on my screen!)- looks like your paint chip hoarding-ha! is paying off. Beautiful inspiration images too.

  65. My favorite in your top 5 is Watery by Sherwin Williams. The gray undertones make it a bit more sophisticated and might withstand the test of time as she matures. I absolutely love the gray/blues too. My husband and I convinced our landlord to paint our bedroom Beach Glass by Benjamin Moore. One of my favorites! (Yep, still renting, but have an awesome landlord so it’s ok.)

    Good luck with whichever color you choose. Can’t wait to see how it turns out!

  66. I love Bird’s Egg! It is so, so pretty. My boys’ bedroom is a custom Benjamin Moore mix. I find that it looks just like the Bird’s Egg paint chip, where the actual paint is a bit more powder-y. Love all of your choices!

  67. Hey, longtime lurker but I just had to comment!

    I’d bet good money that you go with Watery if you are looking for an exact match (though perhaps that inspiration piece has an under-color?) or Swan Sea if you want more punch for your buck. Am I right?

  68. I love Swan Sea! We actually painted our guest bath that color three years ago! It’s definitely much darker dry than in the photos you have as inspiration above but it’s a gorgeous color!! Good luck making your final selection :)

  69. Watery by s.w. Looks to me like the closest match to tHat gorgeous chest at the end! I also want to paint my bedroom dresser a version of that color and distress it! Love!

  70. I wanted a grayish greenish blue for my powder room and ended up with Behr Celtic Gray. It’s not gray at all…more blue than anything. I love it! The room would be perfect if I could convince my husband that we really need to paint the ceiling, too.

    And I LOVE that chest in the last picture!

    I can’t wait to see how it turns out.

  71. I mean, how can you go wrong with any one of those. I do have to say though, that #5 seems to be named perfectly. It has just the right amount of blue, green, and grey in there. Love it! I was looking for the same color when we did our Board and Batten project because that color up against all that white is Amazing! We ended up with something close from the reject bin. Momma likes $4!

  72. I have an SW fan deck, and I am totally on love with Watery, but I haven’t been able to use it yet. I love that color!

  73. these are some of my favorite’s

    True Robin’s Egg Blue – Light and Airy:
    Sherwin Williams
    Aquatint SW 6936 (nice, light blue with hint of green)
    Waterfall SW 6750 (lovely fresh, light colour)
    Refresh SW 6751 (medium, green version, nice)
    Aquaduct SW 6758 (medium, more blue version, also nice)

    Behr
    Balmy Seas 490C-3 (pretty, light soft, version)
    Benjamin Moore
    Soft mint 2041-60 (pretty, soft and light, but yes, minty)
    Sea mist green 2041-50 (beautiful soft medium tone)

    True Robin’s Egg Blue – Rich and Intense:
    Behr
    Jamaica Bay 500D-4 (very nice colour, soft medium blue)

    Sherwin Williams
    Cooled Blue SW 6759 (clear, rich, more green than blue)

    Ralph Lauren
    Island Brights Aged Mint IB77 (beautiful deep bluey grey)
    Sunwashed Blue IB82 (intense bright green/blue)

    Benjamin Moore
    Historical colours Covington blue HC-138 (Stunning greyed blue)

  74. I have to say that I really like “Watery” by SW and whatever the one at the very bottom of the first swatch picture on the paper. The smallest one at the bottom… Cant read the words but i think its purdy. I love the dresser in the last photo. I think it has the perfect saturation not too to soft as I get board with pastels…

  75. I need to join the club on obsessing over paint colors and collecting paint chips! A girl can never have too many! Robins egg blue is one of my favorites….actually I think it is my favorite. I won’t recommend any colors. It looks like you and Coco have it covered. Quite a cute helper you have!

  76. We painted our master bedroom in BM’s Beach Glass, with BM’s Healing Aloe (which is blue, not green!) on the ceiling. I was trying to coordinate with Pottery Barn Porcelain Blue bedding, and I just LOVE the results!

    Nice choices you have there. If that dresser was in my house, I’d never be able to leave her side. ;)

  77. I totally obsess over colors! It’s far, far easier to select color for my clients than for myself. That must have been a tough selection, those colors are all so beautiful and at one point, although you look for nuance, you (at least I) have to say, either one will work if I’ve put such quality time into it. I’m convinced, too, that color choices are also somewhat arbitrary depending on one’s mood at the moment!

  78. beautiful! ‘watery’ seems to be the closest match. can’t wait to see the results!

  79. This is my favorite color, my bathroom is painted Sea Sprite, I have accents of aqua in my office and dining room. I love greens and blues!! I have two boxes full of paint swatches, I just went thru them to throw away all the colors I would never use in my own home (reds, yellows and oranges). I love your website!!

  80. I am so relieved to hear I’m not the only person with a secret paint swatch obsession!

  81. I love them all…but partial to Meander. I agree…I wouldn’t be able to part with her! Kinda like running a pet shelter….I would take them all home with me!! Would that make us “paint hoarders?” Hee Thanks for the great post…love following you.

  82. Love the color of the dresser in the last photo. Robin egg blue is beautiful, I do no have any walls painted that color, but would love a piece of furniture or the back of a bookcase or cabinet that color.
    Let us know which one you choose.

  83. Being that you are asking, I vote for “Bird’s Egg” by Benjamin Moore. I find myself obsessing over colors too.. but then I just take the leap, or now I use “just jump” (got this phrase from a great blog story, Thistlewood Farm)..I find that the more opinions I get, the more confused I become..so “just jump” and go with your heart!

  84. This post is so timely! I’m dying to paint my office Robin’s Egg blue and have been struggling to find the perfect color. I’m definitely going to try your suggestions.

  85. Birds Egg looks wonderful. LOL! We all have our little obsessions, don’t we? Paint is so challenging. Last fall, when we refurbished our guest bathroom I wanted a gray…like blue, there are more shades of gray than I could have imagined. I went with London Fog, Benjamin Moore, but I always feel its a roll of the dice. That is, until I started paining an 18″ x 18″ drywall board with the color I thought I loved…it really helped to visualize an actual sized sample.
    Can’t wait to see your friend’s console.
    Karen

  86. #4- Meander Blue from the photo looks very close to the color you’re looking for. #2- Watery would be my second choice. Each of the colors you chose actually are in the final piece of furniture pictured. Of course photography can be tricky too, changing the color value by making it look darker or lighter.

    I am very obsessive about color. I have a tea cabinet that I’m not done painting, but just slapped a black coat on it to hold me over till I have time to paint it as I want. My nightstands I’m obsessing over right now. I don’t know which way to go as far as the color is concerned. When I get like this I just step back for a while and leave it alone until that ‘epiphany’ comes when I wake up in the middle of the night from a dead sleep and say “YES! OMG why didn’t I think of that color before?” LOL :)

  87. I love Watery from your swatches the best, but all of them look beautiful and if you’re going to glaze over it, maybe one of the lighter ones would be better.?.

    I have drawers full of color swatches and fan decks! All in my quest to find the perfect blue-gray (more blue than gray) for my bathroom. I gave up for awhile and painted a neutral (boring) tan, but I still long for that blue. Everything I’ve tried is either too bright (baby blue) or becomes too dark when I try to gray it down. The ceilings are slanted, so to keep it simple, I want to paint the walls and ceiling all the same color. That causes the problem with the color becoming too dark- any suggestions? :)

  88. I’m presently obsessing over the perfect Ink Blue for an accent wall. Or maybe I’ll go for a deep gray… Decisions, decisons!
    As for your ultimate colour, I think a patina was applied over the base colour. Do you agree? It would make your search even more difficult… Good luck!

  89. What fun! I had a heck of a time when I was choosing a blue for our armoire over a year ago (this post http://akadesign.ca/?p=1944 shows the change – the room has TOTALLY grown up since then btw. New floors, shelves, etc). I finally chose Beauti-Tone’s Quayside (Home Hardware). It doesn’t have much green in it, but it looks really pretty!
    Good luck choosing, Kate.
    xo,
    Shannon

  90. I love Sherwin Williams – Watery. I used it on the backs of my white bookselves in the Living Room.
    BTW – If you would like larger samples…you can go online to sherwinwilliams.com and order 8×10 swatches – and they will send them to you for free! Its a fantastic way to get a better feel for the color when making your pick.
    Good Luck – I can’t wait to see the results!

  91. I think any of those colors would work well for the desired effect. I just always have to remember to pay attention to paint performance of particular brands. The other thing I always seem to struggle with is the difference made by the color of the light in the room, and the color of the wall and other things that will be around the piece. (It seems that every time I change a lightbulb in my kitchen, my cabinets change color like a mood ring!)

  92. I have used both Sherwin Williams Watery and Meander Blue! So funny!! One was in a big room with lots of windows, and the other in a small bathroom, and I cannot remember which one I did where. But both turned out great… In the past, on a few occastions, I have really botched the color selection process for my walls, so now I spend days/nights, weeks, sometimes even seasons choosing just the right color for my walls or wood. I will have swatched taped to my walls for a long time before I choose. I also have a love of a Sherwin Williams color Tidewater. It turns out lovely everytime!

  93. Beautiful blues. Seems like I always am attracted to light blue. I call it sky blue. If I can’t find the blue color I want, I have them tweak the paint color til I am satisfied. I have a stash of paint chips. I was planning to paint one wall so I narrow down the choices and set up the color chip so I can see it for days or weeks in different light (sunshine, cloudy, incadescent, shade, etc.) I choose pastels because they make things look lighter, softer. I am sure the kitty helps to set the tone and ambience. Such a cute kitty ! Right now, I’m working on an art project. First choice was light blue background with vivid white letters. Beautiful.
    I so enjoy your website.

  94. i have been on the same quest for a few years now… this is my favorite decorating color :) i’d have to say we just moved into our home this summer and painted our living room and dining room martha’s enamelware. perfect robin egg blue… for me, anyway. good luck! :)

  95. I think Wyeth Blue is Benjamin Moore but I could be wrong. It’s so nice to hear that someone else has the same addictions that I do. I am constantly collecting paint chips and writing down paint names and numbers. My daytimer is full of yellow sticky notes. You might consider Rainwashed by SW. It is light but really nice.

  96. I went and picked up a ton of these swatches today and if you are going to antique it, Meander Blue might be better than Watery. I love Watery but think it may look to muddy…don’t think there is enough saturation. Either that or the BM Egg blue. Can’t wait to hear what you choose. Now I’m trying to pick my perfect blue for our master bath..hmmm either Watery or Celtic Gray (Behr)

  97. Ooh- these are lovely, too! I’ve been staring at the paint chips for the robins egg blues you suggested to me a week ago, and keep changing my mind. :) I think I’ll have to head out and gather these paint chips too. They are lovely, and that last dresser is dreamy!!!!

  98. You simply MUST watch this video clip from and old Cary Grant/Myrna Loy movie, “Mr. Blanding Builds His Dream House.” Myrna Loy is describing the paint colors she wants in her house. Love the ending! I thought of it as I read you quest for the perfect robin egg blue.

    • I LOOOOOVE that clip and that movie, thanks so very much for the link, fabulous!!!

      Kate

  99. Great post! I TOTALLY obsess over paint colors as much as you do and have been on a year long quest for the perfect grey for my guest room and only settled on a winner the other day (BM’s Coventry Grey) I LOVE Robin’s Egg Blue and think you can’t go wrong with BM’s Bird’s Egg. can’t wait to see the final product!

  100. We used Watery by SW and Sea Salt by SW in our living room and just Watery in the bathroom. I love it!!!

    But, I love these colors. So pretty!

  101. The console looks like Annie Sloan’s Duck Egg.
    All the blue shades are pretty. I am also
    a paint chip collector. Glad to know there are
    several of us!!!

  102. I’m addicted to paint much to my poor husbands dismay. I never go into a paint shop or home improvement store w/o checking out the “oops” cans and usually come home with 1 or 2. As to your paint choices above I love them all but especially like number 4.

  103. I have to admit when I read the title of your post today I got very excited! I get compliments all the time on the wall color in my kitchen (white cabinets) which is BM’s Glacier Lake. It does not look like much on the swatch but is magic on the walls…loved it so much it is also in my dressing and bathroom too.
    I have been known to carry my color swatches when shopping to match shades for future use. Another good idea is to order a free color sample of painted furnishings from catalogs…
    P.S. I actually found a real robin’s egg shell in my garden and matched it to BM’s st. lucia teal 683.

  104. kate, do you have a Porter Paint there? i too have looked high and low for a beautiful robin’s egg blue. after visiting a friend and admiring the paint color in her home, i begged for the name. it’s called Autumn Aqua by Porter Paint. i think they can match it anywhere since there’s a color code thingy online. :) i now have it in my sun room, work room and my bedroom. if i had my way, i’d paint my entire house in this color. it’s soo soothing. :) good luck on finding the perfect blue for you. :) laurie

  105. I think the BM Bird’s Egg is the right one. It stood out to me in picture below the picture of Coco helping. Of course, you know the best way to decide is to buy a quart and try it first. That dresser in your final picture doesn’t look like it’s a solid blue. It looks as though there is a lighter wax over it.

    I love picking out a ton of paint chips to pick a color. For our kitchen, I brought home dozens of chips, and kept ruling out different ones until I got down to four. When I got it down to four, I taped the chips on the wall and then let Jim pick the color he liked best when looking at them on the wall. He didn’t pick the one I was leaning towards, but it turned out to be the best color. It was more clean than the color I thought I wanted, and I know I’m a lot happier with it than I would have been with the other.

  106. Looks to me like the Benjamin Moore Bird’s Egg is right on for the color you’re wishing to achieve. I like your process of elimination. I have been trying for the last 6-8 months to find the right shade of a “grayed out lavender”. Just when I think I’m getting close and finally try a jar of sample paint, I’m astounded by how “far off” the shade is from the way I had thought it would. I’m about to give up! I think I’ve obsessed over it for so long now that I wouldn’t know it if I saw it! Good Luck!

  107. Colour confident Coline from Canada here . . .

    Centsational Kate ! Well done. Your work ( blog) is first rate.

    Admitting you ( we ) have a “problem” is the first step to . . . nirvana. Colour matters.

    So.

    We move to our retirement condo this Fall. Our budget allows us ONE chance to get it right. Fortunately, I found an “old fashioned” painter who understands my quirky requirements and agreed to follow my colour dream.

    Ceiling ? Pale pink, high gloss. Then ? Iridescent glitter, sprayed on while the paint is wet. Very popular in the 60’s . . . my era. The pink is said to reflect well on skin and be very flattering.

    Floors ? Grass green plush wall to wall carpet. Why ? Copying nature, I guess.

    Walls : butter pearl.

    Trim : Robin’s egg blue.

    The views ? Toronto’s harbourfront & islands, as well as the city skyline. One window looks at another condo. Solution ? ” Tiffany” window film.

    Very exciting !

    Shalom,
    Coline

  108. Just LOVE your blog! You just solved one of my painting dilemnas. I’ve been on the search for the perfect robin’s egg color too. I have a long dresser like the one you show last and now I know what color to paint it. Now to find the time!

  109. Hi,

    Thank you so much for the intensive research, I find this blue is the hardest to define, sometimes a little too gray, other times a little too green. I have to admit I am a Benjamin Moore girl, so I usually go for the Bird’s egg blue.

    All the best to you,

    decogirlmontreal.com

  110. thanks for featuring my studio floors!!

    they are very close to benjamin moores robyns nest. i also painted my daughter norah’s room that color, you can see it on my blog too!

    take care!

    caroline

  111. Hi Kate,
    My sister and I embarked on the same search when painting her master bedroom a while back. We painted her room and the en suite bath with the Robin’s Egg from Benjamin Moore and were really happy with the result. However, it is hard to tell if it is going to give you the closest match to the chest in the photo. It may be a little too blue – Meander Blue may be a better fit for furniture.

  112. Home Depot brand…forgot what it is!, carries a swatch that is called Robins Egg Blue, it’s a bit bright, so I have them mix it at 25% strength and it’s GORGEOUS!

    Can’t wait to see your finished color!

  113. I tend to copy nature whenever I can. My favorite time of the year is autumn. I can’t tell you the 1000’s of photos I have of autumn colors (greens, golds, reds, browns). I am in the process of redecorating & organizing my “new” office space. It was my son’s room but then he took over the basement family room where my office was located.

    Right now the colors are purple & blue (good lord what was I thinking when I painted his room)! I can’t stand it anymore! So I’m looking for a sagey green & a chocolate brown. I found the brown, that was easy. Finding a green that’s not too yellowish or blueish is going to drive me virtually insane.

    So I resorted to looking at 1000’s of photos searching for the brown I had picked & looking for Nature’s matching green. I think I found it…maybe.

  114. Thank you for posting this! I painted my front door what I thought was a robin’s egg blue a few months ago – but it’s much too green. Your recommends give me better options for the repaint!

  115. I have a desk I refinished, very close to the dresser picture you posted last… we used Martha Stewart Egg Shell, in River Mist. I put a slightly black glaze finish on it and love how it turned out. I also used that color in my living and we have gotten so many compliments on it! Best of luck to you!

  116. I’m new to Pinterest and would love to pin your photo of your top five Robin’s Egg blues but can’t get it to work. Do you somehow have it blocked from pinning? If not, does anyone have any idea how to?

  117. I recommend that you abandon the search for the PERFECT Blue, and SURRENDER to the ENDLESS sea of blues for the rest of your life! I search only for the NEXT RIGHT BLUE (knowing full well that the range of sublime shades will tantalize me once again as soon as the project at hand is completed).

    I’ve got the same array of blue swatches on my table right now, and a sprinkling of painted blue things around, and am still pining for more blue. For one thing, the LIGHT hitting a particular object changes the color and the experience, so the same “bird egg” blue in different locations has different results.

    Despite owning multiple teapots, yesterday I bought ($6) a perfect oval teapot in the most seductive celadon blue glaze. I tried to resist but was overcome. And I accept it!

  118. I think I love Thunderbird by Benjamin Moore the best! I am trying to get the courage to paint a Pottery Barn dresser (it is black). It is scary to paint an expensive piece! I need to read through your tutorials again of painting furniture :)

  119. I did the same search this summer and agree with a lot of people, Benjamin Moore’s Bird’s Egg is a great color. I’m waiting for the weather to warm up so I can paint the interior of our back door this color.

  120. Would love this color for a bathroom with some glass tiles. You just feel clean looking at it. I have to agree with the other readers, bird’s egg is my favorite. Good luck.

  121. I took a robin shell I found on the ground last spring to my local paint store in search of the perfect robin’s egg blue. I found that Benjamin Moore “hazy blue” is the perfect match–in eggshell–of course. I have a few other very pretty pheasant eggs that I have purchased for craft purposes and intend to find the perfect match for them as well. I think bird eggs provide some of the prettiest colors in nature…

  122. My living room and kitchen are painted in Sherwin Williams Quietude and I think it is the perfect color. In the mornings it looks more blue and in the evenings it looks more green but it always has that grayish undertone that just feels peaceful. I have gotten lots and lots of comments and know of at least 4 other families who have painted the same color all over their house. Just love it!

  123. I am on the hunt for a great shade of grey for my living room, i love the grey color on wall of your top pic above in the dinning room. Can you tell me what color that is , and what brand?? Thanks so much..

  124. I have two favorite colors you have to check out. I use this for ceilings. Palladium Blue by Benjamin Moore.
    And then a darker shade that I have in my kitchen is their historic color, Homestead Green. That is a bad title for the best blue ever. It will surprise you. It’s not green at all. I’m like you, obsessed with colors that remind me of the ocean and a collector of paint colors and fan decks. I love how the dresser ended up.

  125. I forgot to say that the Palladium Blue and Homestead are Benjamin Moore colors. I always get Home Depot to mix them in their paint that has primer in it (unless its for ceilings).

  126. I did a lot of painting – entire basement, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths and entire hallway up and down – to sell my house in the Northeast and a lot of painting the minute we moved in here in the Coastal South. The same color can read very differently in different parts of the country. Behr Celtic Grey and Dockside Haze looked wonderful up north. I had the colors mixed in Martha paint for better coverage. When I sampled those same colors on my walls here in the South they looked pastel and syrupy. Completely- wrong. I also wanted to use a higher grade of paint here since it was for me this time – not to sell.

    For my new house I went with a combination of Benjamin Moore Palladian Blue in the great room to lighten it up – just the most perfect soft aqua grey color. Wythe blue was the color of the year last year for BM. It really is a sophisticated blue-green-grey. I used it for my entry hall, stairwell and upstairs sitting room. Finally I used BM Grenada Villa on a gallery hallway that bisects the house. This is a deep color in the teal green grey range and will look dramatic with paintings hung and lit. I am very happy with how it all turned out. My painter will only use Benjamin Moore for a whole host of reasons, not the least is which saving on labor.

  127. What’s the direct link to that last picture of the dresser? That color is STUNNING and I have a dining room sideboard I would like to paint it in. If anyone knows, please let me know! :)

    Serena
    From House to Home

    • HI Serena, yes, that dresser is so gorgeous, look for the direct link right under the picture!
      Kate

  128. Yes, I do obsess over paint colors. It is so easy to pick paint colors for clients but for myself it is so painful!!!

  129. Love your blog! I painted the walls in most of my home River rock by Behr. It has the perfect amount of grey in it so it doesn’t look like baby blue. I’ve had several people ask me what color it is so that they can use it too.

  130. My all time favorite paint colors are Ellen Kennon Full Spectrum colors (www.ellenkennon.com) and the best blue color is called “h2ahh”!!! My open plan living/ dining/sunroom are painted in that color and it is YUMMY!!!

  131. Thanks for sharing this. Just used this post to help my Mother in Law choose the perfect Robin’s Egg Blue to paint with! Great selection process, which I’m sure was helped by that lovely grey cat.

  132. I too am interested in the direct link for that last picture of the dresser! I can’t get that link to work, all it reads is “via”, with no link or connection. I LOVE it!!!

  133. For me. the perfect Robin’s egg blue is to find an vintage Wedgwood Drabware coffee or tea cub with the drabware brown on the outside and the great robin’s egg blue inside. I think your best bet is the top color of the last five. Painted one room Martha Stewart Mourning dove and the ceiling is MS Mineral Green. (old paint)

  134. Okay, so I found a Robin’s Egg in the front yard and in my quest, decided to bring a piece in to match to my swatch book. I ended up with Sherwin Williams Raindrop (6485) which is one tone darker than your Meander Blue selection. I think we have the right strip…just need to decide the value for our project. Mine, to paint my daughter’s dresser.

  135. Check out sherwin Williams halcyon green. It is the closest I have ever found. Keep in mind that the new cfl bulbs will make a huge difference in how these appear. No one color will be perfect for every lighting situation.

  136. Can anyone tell me what the comment meant from the person who had it mixed 25%. I am not seeing what I want in a lighter color of Robin’s Egg Blue and am wondering if she just lightened it by 75%? I still want serene and quiet for my bathroom, but there are no windows and so I don’t want too intense or too dark. Suggestions? Thanks!

  137. I do obsess over colors, and my latest is robins egg blue. I thought I was close enough when I painted the chair rail in my kitchen Covington blue by Benjamin Moore. However, my walls are a neutral tan color and the chair rail looks way to light and pastelly for my taste. Now I want to find a way to mix in another shade to achieve robins egg blue. Oh my goodness, I thought my kitchen was finally finished!

  138. I was sitting with paint color samples on my lap while looking for the perfect shade of Robin’s Egg Blue, when I stumbled onto your site. I had to laugh as you described what you go through before narrowing down your choices, because you were describing me. I have colors taped all over a wall; I want to put wainscoting paneling from ceiling to floor in my bedroom, painting them Robin’s Egg. I’m so nervous about actually doing it. Has anyone else done this? Thank you for any comments.

  139. Let me just say this is the best paint color site I’ve found. I’ve looked everywhere for the perfect greygreenblue/turquoish paint color for a guest bedroom….I obcess over color to the point where I dream about paint color cards coming at me at different angles….There are either too light too dark too bright or not that color at all on my wall. I have spent days and days of tireless searching going from one store to another…..ahhhhhhhh…..Please help. I have Krypton in my bath which is very small and this color gives it the perfect look. However, I don’t want to use it again in my guest bedroom. If you want a color for your bath…try Krypton SW, I have had so many people ask me what color it is! Now back to the subject at hand…..can anyone suggest some colors I should try. I have an Eastern exposure in that room. Thanks

  140. This is the best. I’m now 23 weeks pregnant with our first child and we just bought our first home a few weeks ago. Green, yellow, and blue are my favorite colors and I thought for the longest time we’d go with yellow for the baby’s room because I like the happiness of sunshine and want to share that with our baby. But then one day several weeks ago (before we found out the gender) it occurred to me that I really wanted to use blue. I had no idea why until one day while listening to The Beatles, I realized why blue is best. “Because the sky is blue…” What could be better??

    So I have since been resolved to use blue. Just a couple weeks ago, we learned she is a girl and I remain more resolved than ever to transform that unappealing shade of pinkish purple left by the previous homeowner into a beautiful, beautiful blue. Just went to Benjamin Moore yesterday to get the paint for our bedroom (Branch Brook Green) and couldn’t help but spend a minute eyeing the blues for baby. I was thinking maybe Fairy Tale Blue or Serenity until I ran across your blog this morning and couldn’t be happier to learn about Bird’s Egg. I think it might be absolutely PERFECT! Love your writing, your kitten, your color affinities, and thank you.

  141. I’ll be painting our bedroom Benjamin Moore’s Bird’s Egg. I can’t wait for the outcome!

  142. I am painting my baby girl’s room and want the perfect blue to go with white furniture and hot pink accents; can you suggest which of these gorgeous blues you would recommend. The room is small so I want to make sure it’s a color that makes it look as big as possible. Thank you!

  143. I love robin’s egg blue so much, I keep trying to fit it into my office. Or perhaps the kitchen? Oh yes, I love it for the bathroom but it won’t go with the towels I bought (thinking they were the perfect shade) that I’m stuck with. Question: My bedroom is in shades of mauve and purple (Benjamin Moore Violetta and Amorous) and I’m thinking of doing my office/craft room aqua. Is that crazy?

  144. I LOVE playing with paint chips! Thank goodness I’ve found a fellow addict! People do make fun of me, but, I do get the SOS call as often! XO

  145. I sell Maison Blanche Furniture Paint and one of the hottest colors by far is “Robin’s Egg”! Yesterday at the shop a woman bought a quart to paint some doors in her 1700’s house :)

  146. I too love collecting paint colors (I often bring home the same color on different trips..oops must love them then). I have lists of paint color names divided by manufacturer on my phone just in case I need to pop by paint store. I have been looking for the perfect robin egg color and thanks to your blog have found a new one! Thank you!

    • LOVING Sherwin Williams “Atmospheric” for our Porch ceilings ♥️

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