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6.26.2009

HUEmor me: decorating with blue

Blue is a widely loved color and it's easy to see why! It reminds us of a clear blue sky and ocean waters. It's patriotic and tough, solid and classic or soft and soothing. Like most colors, I believe there's a blue for everyone...it's just a matter of finding your best blue. Time to get our of your box when it comes to blue and see what the hue has to offer!

blue dining molding

white room blue furnishings

light blues
(left to right,
Parker Paint, Waterside; Pratt & Lambert's Argent & Sherwin-Williams' Sassy Blue)


Great pairings with blue:
Brown
Cream or white
Pink
Yellow/green/orange
Red (and not just the traditional red, white and blue)
Black and white with a light, silvery blue = elegant


aqua living

dk blue living room

teal and red

mid blues
(Benjamin Moore's Aquarius and Farrow & Ball Chinese Blue)

Blues range from pale and gray to dark navy. In between you'll find aquas and mid-tone blues that are happy and add a pop to any decor. Don't be afraid to mix blues, just keep one dominant in the room. Mixing values of the same color will add visual interest to your spaces. And here's an idea—paint your ceiling a pale, light, sky blue. It will cast a glow over your room and will be a fun surprise!

dark blues
(C2's Electric and Benjamin Moore's Patriot Blue)


blue and yellow

blue and orange

What's your favorite blue? Leave a comment, I'd love to know!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's funny that I never think of blue as my favorite color, but I wear it a lot, find myself drawn to it, and have a lot of it in my home! Aquas and turquoises, cobalts and periwinkles remind me of the sea and gardens. The Cote d'azur is probably one of the most beautiful examples of the blues that appeal to me, and something that doesn't seem quite possible to capture on film. My Rooms for Rover room is destined to be blues of the sea, whether I win or not!

designer, April Force Pardoe, said...

You are right - there are so many blues to love! Thanks for your comment.

Kathleen Ellis said...

Great post, April! Blue is a magnificent color! My all time favorite blue is hydrangea blue...that kind of beautiful, brilliant purple-y blue. In my home and in many of my clients homes I have painted the ceilings a very pale sky blue...try it...it is very soothing and actually makes the ceiling appear higher, airier!
I do appreciate a very soft aqua blue with deep raspberry and chocolate brown, too!
Happy weekend!
;-D

designer, April Force Pardoe, said...

hydrangea blue is one of my favorites too. I've painted several rooms that color. The aqua, raspberry & brown combo is also lovely and I have that in one of my girls' rooms! The right color combos are breathtaking.

Unknown said...

When you can stop thinking blue as just "blue" and see them for what they are: teal, Mediterranean blue, Amalfi, Turquoise...etc, you'll see all the things you can do with this hue.

Nicolette
http://www.furnitureanddesignideas.com/

designer, April Force Pardoe, said...

Nicolette - yes! It's that kind of "out of the (blue) box" thinking that opens people's minds to new colors, or to looking at the same old colors in a new way!

Anonymous said...

Blue is my favorite color. Maybe just a man thing, but that's OK. Hard pressed to get my Mrs. to decorate in blue, though. I think the concern is making the room too "masculine". Pretty obvious, though, that you've got several examples of blue rooms that look great, aren't overpowering, and have definite "feminine" qualities.

Personally, I wouldn't combine blue carpet and walls in my living room but it works in that photo.

As for my favorite shade? At the moment it's "robin's egg blue". Yes, it's a very trendy color, but it's a nice toned-down blue that can be combined with many other colors, especially brown, and used in all rooms of your home.

designer, April Force Pardoe, said...

@ Todd, thanks for stopping by and commenting. Yes, there are many "feminine" blue colors and combinations, but that said, not everyone has to like every color. I just like showing people new possibilities!