Deep Ocean
What Deep Ocean Actually Looks Like
Deep Ocean is a deep, saturated teal with strong blue and green in equal measure. It reads as a true medium-dark color, not quite navy and not quite emerald, but something confidently between the two. In bright rooms with plenty of daylight it shows its full teal character. In dim rooms or low north light it can shift toward a darker, almost ink-like blue-green that reads much moodier than you might expect from the chip.
Deep Ocean Undertones
The color carries both blue and green undertones in close balance. The green keeps it from reading as a cold or flat navy, while the blue prevents it from tipping into purely aqua territory. Depending on the light in your room and the other colors around it, one undertone will assert itself more than the other. Warm incandescent or amber light pulls the green forward. Cool daylight or LED bulbs hold the blue center stage.
Where Deep Ocean Works Best
Because the LRV is quite low, Deep Ocean absorbs a lot of light. It works best in rooms where you want drama and enclosure rather than brightness and airiness. Think a home office, a dining room, a powder bath, or an accent wall in a living room. It can feel oppressive in a space with very little natural light and no layered artificial lighting, so plan your lighting carefully before committing to all four walls. On exterior trim or a front door it delivers real presence without reading as a novelty.
Where to put Deep Ocean
A small powder room is one of the best places to commit fully to Deep Ocean on all four walls. The low LRV creates an intimate, enveloping quality that feels intentional in a small space rather than claustrophobic. Add a large mirror and solid lighting to compensate for the light absorption, and the result is a room that feels polished and considered.
Deep Ocean on dining room walls sets a tone that suits evening entertaining well. Candlelight and warm overhead fixtures bring out the green in the teal and warm the whole room considerably. Keep the ceiling lighter to preserve a sense of height.
The color is focused and grounding in a work space. It reads as serious without being cold. Make sure you have strong task lighting at your desk, because the low LRV will not help you in a room that does not already get good daylight.
If you are not ready to go all in, a single feature wall in a living room or bedroom lets Deep Ocean do its work without overwhelming the space. It pairs well behind a sofa or a bed frame and creates natural depth in an otherwise neutral room.
On a front door, Deep Ocean reads as a sophisticated alternative to standard navy. It has enough green to feel fresh and enough depth to feel grounded. It suits natural wood siding, white trim, and brick equally well.
What to Pair With Deep Ocean
No specific Benjamin Moore coordinating colors are assigned to this color in our database, but as a general guide, Deep Ocean pairs well with crisp whites, warm off-whites, natural wood tones, brass or aged-bronze hardware, and natural linen or jute textiles that soften its intensity without fighting it.
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Colors that clash with Deep Ocean
Placing Deep Ocean adjacent to a blue-leaning cool gray can make both colors look flat and competing rather than complementary. The similar undertones cancel each other out instead of creating contrast.
Cool silver hardware can pull the blue in Deep Ocean toward a colder, harder reading than most people intend when they choose a teal.
In a north-facing room with small windows and no supplemental lighting, Deep Ocean can read almost black and lose the teal quality entirely that made you choose it in the first place.
Common questions
The precise LRV is 14.04, which is quite low. A color with an LRV in that range absorbs the majority of light that hits it rather than reflecting it back. In practical terms, the room will feel darker and more enclosed than it would with a mid-tone or light color. That is not a problem if you want drama, but you should plan for strong lighting and test a large sample in your actual space before painting.
Eggshell is the most forgiving finish for walls. It is easy to clean, hides minor surface imperfections, and gives just enough sheen to push a little light back into the room without becoming distractingly shiny. In a bathroom or kitchen where moisture and scrubbing are factors, step up to satin.
Almost certainly not, and that is true of any deep saturated color. Paint chips are small and viewed in store lighting. Once Deep Ocean is on a full wall in your specific room with your specific light source, it will read differently. In bright south-facing rooms it will look more teal and lively. In dim north-facing rooms it will look darker and more blue-green. Always test a large painted sample on the actual wall before committing.
The Benjamin Moore color code is 2058-30. The hex and RGB values are displayed in the color swatch on this page.