Our Review of Needlepoint Navy by Sherwin Williams

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Needlepoint Navy is a sophisticated blue exterior paint color that is surprisingly versatile. Our designers love it as a lighter option for a navy hue and its neutral tones that make it a breeze to work with. Needlepoint Navy is such an impressive color, we’ve even named it one of the best Sherwin Williams’ exterior paint colors of 2021.

Keep reading to learn all about Needlepoint Navy, including how our designers like to use it and our recommended color pairings.

Just need help choosing paint colors? We got you! Our paint visualizer is the perfect way to see a color like Needlepoint Navy on your home. The fun doesn’t stop there though. We can also help with visualizing other design elements such as backyards, siding, and pools. Learn about our virtual exterior design services.

Our designers only use and recommend products that we know, love, or would use on our own properties. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. 

Four-story home rendered in Sherwin Williams' Needlepoint Navy with white windows, black light fixtures, and wood doors.

Sherwin Williams’ Needlepoint Navy: The specs

Sherwin Williams’ Needlepoint Navy has an LRV of 13. It’s a dark paint color, but in the family of navy blues, it’s relatively light. (Curious about LRV? Learn more here, including why LRV is so important to keep in mind when choosing the perfect paint color for your home.)

Due to its neutral tones, in the sunlight or shade, Needlepoint Navy shouldn’t have much of a color shift with the changing light. This makes it a good choice for practically any environment, whether it be a home near the beach or a suburban colonial.

WE ALWAYS RECOMMEND SAMPLING AND TESTING PAINT COLORS BEFORE COMMITTING. FACTORS SUCH AS NATURAL LIGHTING, UNDERTONES, AND YOUR PROPERTY’S FIXED ELEMENTS WILL HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON HOW A COLOR WILL APPEAR ON YOUR EXTERIOR. OUR FRIENDS AT SAMPLIZE OFFER EXTRA-LARGE 9 X 14.75 INCH PEEL-AND-STICK PAINT SAMPLES OF THE COLORS WE LOVE FOR EXTERIORS. ORDER YOUR ‘REAL PAINT, NO MESS’ SAMPLES FROM SAMPLIZE HERE.

Southwestern style home with white stucco, a blue front door, and brown roof.

Recommended applications for Needlepoint Navy

Our designers have applied Needlepoint Navy to different styles of homes with fabulous results. From the ocean-front home shown earlier to bungalows and Cape Cods, this blue hue is truly versatile. So versatile it works well as the primary shade or accent color, like on the front door of the home above.

Texture is a wonderful way to add depth to a façade painted with Needlepoint Navy. It translates well onto shake siding, horizontal or vertical lap siding, and brick.

When it comes to building materials and design elements, we like to keep things simple. Our go-to choices are wood features, black or copper accents, and occasionally stone. Black light fixtures look great for a modern touch, and copper fixtures like gutters can look sleek and contemporary when paired with a blue like Needlepoint Navy.

Gray rancher with black light fixtures, paved driveway, and white trim.

Needlepoint Navy color pairings

Whites, blacks, stained wood, some grays, and copper are our go-to colors to pair with Needlepoint Navy.

The design above shows Needlepoint Navy on the garage door paired with Benjamin Moore’s Shadow Gray as the central hue. Shadow Gray’s blue undertones play well with Needlepoint Navy and create a calming monochromatic look. Stone skirting pulls the gray tones from Shadow Gray, while a black front door, porch lights, and seating modernize the home. The white trim (Snow White by Benjamin Moore) also has blue undertones, staying on theme with the color palette.

If you want to have some fun with your color palette, use a light pink or green like Sherwin Williams’ Peach Fuzz or Sea Salt on the front door or another accent.

Modern bungalow rendered in Needlepoint Navy by Sherwin Williams, with wood accents, black trim, and a front yard entertaining area.

Needlepoint Navy has the ability to lean traditional and classic or modern and trendy. The rendering above is a good example of all our recommended color pairings in one design. Trim painted in Black by Benjamin Moore separates and outlines the extended roofline to the carport. Benjamin Moore’s Revere Pewter on the shake and entry siding add contrast and also draws the eye to the entry of the home that could otherwise be overlooked.

Additionally, the horizontal slats on the carport’s wood accent wall direct the focus to the entry as well. Copper gutters are a subtle touch, as are the black cables holding the awning. We also love the continuance of the off-set rectangular shapes from the driveway to the front door’s window panes.

Traditional colonial with black shutters, blue siding, and a dark red front door.

If you’re looking for a more traditional palette, you can’t go wrong with classic black shutters in Tricorn Black and white trim in Pure White by Sherwin Williams (shown above). A pop of red on the front door (Sherwin Williams’ Rookwood Dark Red) adds interest and highlights the entry.

Virtual rendering of a small home painted in Needlepoint Navy by Sherwin Williams, with a white pergola, wood garage door, large white trimmed windows, and lush landscaping.

Pros and cons of Sherwin Williams’ Needlepoint Navy

PROS:

  • Unique medium-toned navy
  • Can be used as a central or accent color
  • Looks great on many home styles

CONS:

  • Color pairing options are somewhat limited

Needlepoint Navy alternatives

Sherwin Williams’ Needlepoint Navy would be a fantastic choice for an exterior paint color. However, we know options are always nice to have. Below we’re sharing two alternatives — a darker and lighter paint color — in case you’re still on the fence.

Large modern farmhouse in navy blue with crisp white trim, and wood stained garage doors.

Benjamin Moore’s Hale Navy vs. Needlepoint Navy

Hale Navy is a very popular paint color for exteriors and interiors alike. It’s one of Benjamin Moore’s most popular paint colors — and for good reason. We love Hale Navy for its ability to look timeless and modern. We don’t often use this color on contemporary or modern homes though. Instead, it works best on cottages, waterfront homes, and craftsman style homes.

Coastal style two-story home with porch pergolas, copper lighting, white trim, and light blue-green siding.

Benjamin Moore’s Boothbay Gray vs. Needlepoint Navy

Boothbay Gray by Benjamin Moore is a lovely shade of gray-blue with a hint of green. Our designers often use it for coastal homes because of its breezy and serene feel. Its LRV is 43.26, and it looks fabulous with wood tones, copper fixtures, and lots of white.

In application, Boothbay Gray looks great on textured materials like shake siding and brick. Its color pairings are pretty straightforward. We like to pair it with Benjamin Moore’s Seapearl and Cloud White, and Sherwin Williams’ Snowbound. These are three very different whites, all with different undertones of gray, yellow, and pink respectively. This just goes to show how versatile Boothbay Gray is.

While considerably lighter than Needlepoint Navy, we still think Boothbay Gray is a nice alternative worth considering.

Digital rendering of a Cape Cod style home painted in Sherwin Williams' Needlepoint Navy with large arched windows, wood columns, and modern style garage doors.

The bottom line on Needlepoint Navy

Needlepoint Navy is refined and stylish. Its neutrality makes it easy to work with, and its versatility is impressive. You won’t have to worry about it looking different from morning to evening, so it can fit right into any environment. It’s a wonderful choice if you’re wanting a blue that’s not too light or too dark. Plus, if you’re feeling adventurous, there are a few color options for a fun front door color that will work well with it.

All these attributes are reasons why we named Needlepoint Navy one of the 12 blue exterior house colors we love and why we think you’ll love it too.

If you’re ready to see Needlepoint Navy on your own home, our process is easy! All we need are your answers to a short questionnaire for our designers to start creating a custom design for your home exterior. We’ll even provide a shoppable resource list so getting started is as easy as clicking a few links. Get started here.

Author

Originally from Tennessee, Ami currently lives in South Carolina, which has been home since leaving the military in 2016. Interior and exterior design has always intrigued Ami, especially the styles and characteristics seen in other countries as an avid traveler and photographer. She lives for the renewal of older or historic homes that maintain their character, and regularly creates her own mood boards and virtual designs for inspiration or to help others with their spaces. Having always had a passion for design and following their work for years prior, Ami was excited to be brought onto brick&batten’s team of writers. Her writing endeavors actually started in an academic/scientific setting, then in a regulatory aspect. Writing about paint colors, emerging or current trends in exterior design, and so much more revolving around something she’s always enjoyed was a fun and welcomed change!