Navy makes a big, beautiful statement…especially in large doses.
Benjamin Moore's "Midnight Navy" (2067-10) is the main wall color for this room, designed and painted by Mark Chamberlain. It's paired with "Cedar Green" (2034-40). (image via Benjamin Moore)
It can be a problematic color though, teetering precariously on an edge somewhere between Ikea/Blockbuster/BestBuy Blue and dark, I-didn’t-mean-it-to-look-so-black Black. Navy’s sweet spot certainly lies somewhere in the middle between a recognizable hue and a subtle hint of color.
In this room, a shot of navy in the form of a sofa transforms the pinks and purples from "girly" to "sophisticated." (image via Domino)
Here are a few more rooms that I think do a great job at getting navy right.
From L to R: Navy Bedroom (image via Domino); Graham and Brown Fountain Wallpaper in Midnight (image via Graham and Brown); Navy Grasscloth Wall (via Drake Design Associates)
And of course, since it’s Color Friday, here’s your pretty wheel of navy things. Enjoy!
Clockwise from top swatch: Farrow and Ball's "Drawing Room Blue" (253); "Rings" Grasscloth Wallpaper by Phillip Jeffries (image via Phillip Jeffries); Navy Chevron Pillow by Twinkle Living (image via Twinkle Living); Navy Pendant Lamp (image via 1stDibs); Benjamin Moore's "Midnight Navy" (2067-10), 'Louisa' Settee (image via Anthropologie); "Vivian" Mosaic Glass Tile by Ann Sacks, (image via Ann Sacks); "Isabella" Side Table by Bungalow 5 (image via Clayton Gray Home); Crocodile Rug (image via Rug Market).
Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.
Paint It What I Tell You 
You’re right about the shades of navy – I’ve walked into some homes with walls of smurf blue and wondered what the people were thinking. But when the shade of navy is just right, it’s striking.
I love the Graham and Brown Fountain wallpaper above. While that much violet would normally stand out and possibly overwhelm, the navy mutes it somewhat – they mesh well together (in my humble, non-design opinion!).
I love the wallpaper for the same reason. There are so many graphic prints these days that mesh masculine and feminine perfectly!